TrackIR is an optical motion tracking device that used an infrared (IR) camera to track head motion manufactured by NaturalPoint. The user wears a hat or other rigid structure on the head with dots that reflect infrared light. These are used as reference points to generate motion data for the software. With the correct configuration … Continue reading TrackIR
Our smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices are pretty ordinary looking from the outside, but on the inside they are packed with tiny, sophisticated sensors. The three most likely to be in your average device are magnetometers, accelerometers and gyroscopes. These devices have also been essential for the development of modern consumer virtual reality, as … Continue reading Understanding Sensors: Magnetometers, Accelerometers and Gyroscopes
When Valve Corporation and mobile phone manufacturer HTC jointly announced the SteamVR virtual reality ecosystem, it certainly caught many who’ve been following consumer virtual reality off-guard for one simple reason: you could get up and walk around. Other virtual reality solutions such as the Oculus Rift are explicitly “sit-down” experiences. After all, since you can’t … Continue reading SteamVR Lighthouse
The PrioVR is an in-development motion capture suit intended for mainstream use, mainly video games. Unlike many professional motion capture systems the PrioVR is not a cumbersome full body unit, but a series of sensors strapped to the body that allow for skeletal movement to be accurately digitised. This means that your skeleton can be … Continue reading PrioVR the full body motion tracking suit
The STEM by Sixense is a wireless motion tracking system that provides precise motion tracking and control for virtual reality experiences. The system is still in development, but is slated for a December 2015 release. The system is in many ways a successor to the Razer Hydra, a licenced product also developed and produced by … Continue reading The Sixense STEM
One of the key features of the current virtual reality revival is its reliance on technologies developed for mobile devices. The new virtual reality hardware we’re seeing is a far cry from the nightmarish tethers and back-breaking hardware from the late 20th century. Now we are seeing various takes on small, wireless and lightweight hardware … Continue reading StompzVR: Getting a foot in the door
The Novint Falcon is a desktop haptic robot device, although you’ll also hear it referred to as a “3D mouse” in some literature. It’s used to simulate touch in a virtual world, allowing you to “feel” virtual objects or other physical forces. Be sure to read our article Getting to Grips With Haptics for a … Continue reading The Novint Falcon Haptic System
Everyone cannot really afford a CAVE system or purchase a bodysuit. One still have other options to choose from than using a wand or a joystick. The user’s sense of immersion increases when the devices that take part into the navigational section are efficient and smooth and tally with the real life experience of the … Continue reading Virtual Reality Input Devices
Virtual reality glasses or goggles are a type of eyewear which functions as a display device. They enable the wearer to view a series of computer generated images which they can then interact with. They take the form of one or two display screens which are worn in front of the face and project graphical … Continue reading Virtual Reality Glasses
There are several types of virtual reality glasses which are designed to be used with different systems. These include the PC, Mac and PS3 (Playstation 3) console. These glasses are mainly worn for gaming, for example World of Warcraft. There are two types of glasses – wired and wireless – which work with all types … Continue reading Virtual Reality Glasses for the PC
