iMyth

Tag: HTC Vive

  • Steam VR Approaching House Scale Tracking?

    Steam VR Approaching House Scale Tracking?

    One of the Holy Grails to rise above the first generation of VR is to move from room-scale tracking to warehouse or house scale tracking. During the The Courier prototyping phase, the iMyth crew was able to extend the Steam VR Tracking to 20 feet by 20 feet. There were artifacts with this scale including dead zones and intermittent spotty coverage. I have been anxiously waiting the arrival of Steam Tracking 2.0. I though it would be available by last December however it is only just starting to show up with certain Vive Pro packages.

    To hype the release of the new Steam VR tracking, Vive China President Alvin Wang Graylin Twitted a video of seven new SteamVR 2.0 base stations hooked up to a single Steam account after a SteamVR beta update. Inside the video, a participant navigates continuously through three separate rooms and interacts with multiple tracked objects. Seven V2.0 Lighthouses were used to track the experience space. We have no idea what the viewing experience was like but it did not seem as if the participant was slowed by dropped coverage or dead zones. He even travels through closed doors.

    https://twitter.com/twitter/statuses/1016992465742585857

    One of the really impressive aspects of this is that the group achieved a tracking area 67 square meters which more than double the recommended size of 25 square meters of the Steam Tracking 1.0. Here is the floor space schematic of the test.

    While currently being distributed, Steam Tracking 2.0 is still being developed and it will still be a while before technology at this scale reaches the consuming public. Evidently the off-the-shelf version of the trackers will only work with 4 trackers not 7 as reported by lead Steam VR Tracking developer Alan Yates. He confirmed that while it is possible to link 4 lighthouses at the moment, the released video is still prototype and a bit premature.

    Even though 7 Lighthouses is still not within grasp, I would still love to get my hands on 4 Lighthouses. Who knows? Maybe if the Lighthouses could be daisy chained in a linear sequence we could still achieve 75 square meters of tracked coverage. The imagination just spins!

  • HTC Vive Does AR

    HTC Vive Does AR

    It’s not big secret that I am a big HTC Vive fan. I love Steam VR tracking. I purchased an HTC Vive as soon as they became available. I love the overall product.

    I also have not been blogging much lately. In the world of immersive experiences there has not been much development happening anywhere outside ILMXlab/Void and Dreamscape Immersive. These companies keep very close to themselves so there has not been much news to report on.

    Last month HTC Vive released their Pro Model. I have not purchase one of these new models yet because, as far as immersive experience development is concerned, the new product does not have any must have feature. Tracking 2.0 will not yet be available until who knows when. The wire-less adapter would be nice but not essential for exploration.  The new improved display and headset would also be nice but, once again not essential for the exploration I am doing.

    Just recently, HTC released a new SDK for the PRO enabling it to generate AR. This is really cool since, at first glance, anything you can do with Magic Leap, you can do with Vive. I have not had an opportunity to play with the Magic Leap SDK which was also released about a month ago. However, If given the opportunity to work with just one hardware set, I would choose Vive. I know very little about Magic Leap and that is the problem. Outside of Magic Leap all information is rare. Once Tracking 2.0 becomes available I will probably get myself a new Vive Pro. If that means I won’t need to purchase a Magic Leap Dev kit then I will be all over that.

    I have included some test footage from Ghost Project Studios who is one of the first adapters of this new technology. Really exciting Stuff. Why is this exciting? You’ll just have to stay tuned to a new concept I am working on concerning the three contributing levels of immersive experiences. Until then, Enjoy these videos:

  • Update on Steam VR 2.0

    Update on Steam VR 2.0

    There are two bits of information out there giving some direction of where HTC and Steam will be taking with the Vive.

    In fact, I know this may be too early guessing, maybe the next generation of HMD coming from this collaboration won’t even be called the ‘Vive‘ any longer. What are your thoughts?

    On first order, the engineers at SteamVR reminded all future developers to start ordering their new, STeamVR 2.0, base stations. The new base stations will not be compatible with the old HMDs. These new base stations will only be compatible with the new TS4231 sensors. Good for backwards compatibility, these new sensors will still respond with the old lighthouse base stations. These new base stations will be cheaper, have no moving parts and will not have sync issues. Steam is asking manufacturers to start making orders now. The manufactures must buy them in bulks of 45 at $60 a piece and supply no packaging and no mounting equipment. The retail price of the new base stations will probably be more expensive than $60 but we’ll just have to wait for the MSRP in 2018.

    What is really exciting about these new bases is that they will soon be able to support up to four base stations working in conjunction with each other, covering volumes of up to 10 cubic meters. That is really big! In fact it is so big that that should be a sufficient enough space to implement redirected walking seamlessly without resetting. Of course there would be caveats in the environment to compensate for the limited space. However with a 10mX10m space you should only have to worry about a reset ever 13m which is still quite a large distance! This is super exciting and more information as things continue to develop.

    The next bit of information invites even more room for conjecture. HTC has just applied for a New Zealand patent for a new HMD called the HTC Eclipse. The HTC Focus was thought to be the new, wireless mobile headset to be compatible with the new Windows 10 VR suite. The new HTC Eclipse has these particular tags: head mounted display for computer simulated reality, motion tracking sensors, handheld computer simulated reality controllers. ” Is this an indication of the next generation of VR?  Time will only tell. However, the simultaneous release of the next generation of tracking and this new HMD may be more than coincidence.

  • Sensics’ New Professional Grade HMD

    Sensics’ New Professional Grade HMD

    Sensics, a long time manufacturer of high end Head Mounted Display devices, has recently released its new professional grade HMD geared towards VRArcades and amusement parks.

    This new headset has two versions: $2160.00 and $2590.00. Sanitation and Resolution are it’s big selling points. Hygienically, the new units include a machine-washable, hypoallergenic face mask that physically separates from the display. This detached face mask has two advantages. First it is easily set aside and sanitized for later use apart from the disply, expensive part of the HMD. Secondly, participants can strap in and adjust the headset for optimal fit before clipping into the display. Both of these contribute to greater customer throughput. No longer does the attraction need to stop between sessions so the new users can exchange sets with the old. The new users prep themselves before the start of the experience, receive the display portion from the prior users then immediately start the experience with minimum downtime. Experience operators then sanitize the used face masks and help the next participants prepare for their own experiences.

    The resolution of the more expensive unit is 1440×1600@90 Hz LCD which is 70{76c5cb8798b4dc9652375d1c19c86d53c1d1411f4e030dd406aa284e63c21817} larger than the Vive/Oculus display at 1080X1200. Whether the rendering engine can handle that much more throughput is an entirely different issue and will need be explored. The cheaper unit resolution is 2160X1200@90Hz OLED. Here are some of the image comparisons:

    Currently the headsets will be equipped with integrated 9-axis orientation trackers which is very similar to what you currently have in your cell phone. For room scale and larger experiences, this headset lends itself naturally to an OptiTrack or Vicon tracking solution. Regretfully, this does not sound immediately compatible with Steam VR tracking. However, a third party could very well create an attached controller which could track the headset as an added component to an existing Vive setup.

    While this system sounds very interesting, at this moment in time the cost for these units is very expensive and prohibitive. Past the R&D and prototyping stages this tool would be very useful for commercial usage.

     

  • Dragon Ball Z Coming to a VR Arcade Near You

    Dragon Ball Z Coming to a VR Arcade Near You

    Whether you are a fan of the Dragon Ball Z theme world or not you had better watch out because it is coming to a VR Arcade near you. While there may not be a VR arcade near at this moment in time, fear not! That issue will be remedied within the near future. But, alas, this article is about Dragon Ball Z world becoming a familiar theme in the VR world.

    The HADO Company in Japan is already well on top of things. Even as early as last IAAPA, HADO was offering a room scale MR experience where participanst could fight against monsters or against each other using a Dragon Ball Z like game motion mechanic. While not sticking strictly the the Dragon Ball Z theme world, this company has taken its own artistic licenses and created a commercially viable product of their own.

    The San Francisco based entertainment company “SCRAP Entertainment” has installed this Dragon Ball Z like experience in their San Francisco location. I am currently unaware of the details except the installation will only be available through August 31. Their location is 1746 Post Street.

    If instead of a cheap rip-off you want the real deal with officially licensed Dragon Ball Z characters then you will have to go to Japan to the Bandai Namco VR Arcade Zone in Shinjuku, Tokyo. An earlier review of this VR Arcade has already been provided in this post, Bandai Namco VR Arcade. This place is really cool. they are a 40,000 square foot, 2-floor VR arcade featuring games operating on the HTC Vive. Many of these games are integrated with motion controlled apparatus such as motion chairs and stationary bicycles. Much of their special content seems to be IP related, custom built experiences. Check out this main atrium in the facility.

    I’m sure there will be future articles describing their Mario Kart and Doreomon VR experiences but this article is devoted to the Dragon Ball Z Theme world.

    The experience is available for 2-4 players simultaneously. The crew starts off a group of new recruits in a typical martial arts training ground led by series protagonist, Goku. AFter mastering the basic the crew is teleported to an iconic, barren field where he executes a Kamehameha, made more immersive by an open-hand custom device using Vive Trackers. That’s when the battle begins, and you’re positioned at different intervals, using your training mates as target practice.

    What I think is really cool about this experience is that each participant is isolated into their own VR play space. But in the battle field their relatives positions change dynamically. The field of play has been transformed from a 40’x10′ strip to an entire battle field. This demonstrates some of the true potential VR Arcades and and immersive experiences have. I look forward seeing new additions to this already groovy attraction.

  • House Scale VR in Sight!

    House Scale VR in Sight!

    I received some bitter sweet news today from the folks at Valve Software.

    After much anticipation, the engineers at SteamVR have found a way to create a cheaper, more versatile Lighthouse solution. The old sensor chip, the TS3633, produced a single “envelope” pulse per laser or sync blinker hit. That hit allows the Watchman module in the device to time the difference between the sync and the laser hit and compute angle from that difference.  There is a new sensor chip from Triad Semiconductor, the TS4231 which is actually simpler and cheaper to produce. What’s most important, it provides a burst of data per laser or sync hit. Using that data allows information to be transmitted on the laser itself, which we can be used to learn about the source of that laser.

    This new capability to encode information in the laser is significant for two reasons:

    • It allows support for more than two base stations, and thus larger tracking volumes.
    • It allows a base station to function without including a sync blinker, which is the source of most of the interference between base stations (and is also a significant driver of base station cost.) This technology is called sync-on-beam.

    Depending on tests, these new sensors will start rolling out in late June. The new lighthouses won’t start rolling out until November.

    Here is a diagram of the compatibility of the two systems:

    Regretfully the old sensors will not work with the new Light House configuration. The new sensors will work with the old but not the other way around. Regretfully I just invested in 7 new Tracker pucks. They can still be used with the old system but not the new.

    So this news is bitter sweet. iMyth will have ware house scale VR in 2018. Regretfully We will need to retrofit will all new sensors. I suppose it was a good thing I had not had a chance to turn the printed iMyth props into controllers since they will be need to be redone anyway. At close to $500 per prop, I suppose the damage could have been much worse. I have recently finished long conversations with the folks at Optitrack and Motion Reality. It seems now Steam VR can join them in the House Scale/Warehouse Scale VR race. Because Steam VR tracking is not bound by cameras, there may be possibility to have vertical structures as well. Very cool!

  • Wireless Vive

    I don’t normally write about improvements in technology. I would rather focus on Story and experience related topics. However this is groundbreaking and will have a significant impact on the HTC Vive.

    A Chinese company called TPCast has created a device add-on for the HTC Vive making it wireless. While some folks may balk at the $220 price tag on top of the $800 they already plunked down for the Vive, this may just be one of the key components needed to help get the VR Cade concept of the ground This is especially true with iMyth.

    [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYMzuvjBbN4[/embedyt]

    One of the distractions for iMyth is we have created a 20’x20′ play space area. Regretfully this is longer than the actual cable is able to reach. We were planning to look into expanding the cable. However, for the new year, this wireless solution will be much better. Since the cable would have been very expensive, this more expensive alternative will be a welcome addition to the iMyth arsenal.

    Folks may not want to pay extra to have this wireless luxury at home. However, peripherals and accessories such as this may be just the hook to entice people to get out of their homes and have an iMyth experience!

  • Thoughts about Roomscale VR

    We are standing at the precipice of explorations into VR.

    I was originally hoping to be able to exploit the usage of the giant MOCAP stage at FIEA. However, One of the most important elements, getting the track data to the game has to be solved yet. I was hoping to use  Vicon pegasus to do the lion’s share of work. However, a week has gone by and I still can’t get the UE4 plugin to work correctly. This has many implications.

    The first of these implications is that we can’t use the tracking on the mocap stage. This would mean we would need to use the Vive’s tracking capabilities. There are some unknowns about this. Out of the box, how large is the range? There is a video where the folks at stress level zero are experimenting with about a ten yard difference between the length of the lighthouses:

    This might work for the iMyth Prototype. However, we would not be able to use props and sets.

    There is also another thought that the lighthouses can be hooked up to create a matrix of light emitters. This video interview with the lighthouse creator, Alan Yates, hints at some of the unlimited opportunity.

    By this video, in concept, there could be an infinite number of lighthouses providing an infinite amount of coverage. Once again we have the same problem of not being able to use props. However, the video also hints that sensors can be placed on objects and the sensors could report their position. This would take some, ‘hacking” to figure out. However, i Imagine some kind of prop/set system could be created.

    There is one final possibility which I know nothing about. There is the possibility we could use the vicon cameras as lighthouse surrogates. That means we could already have an array of lighthouses already in place. Once again, this implies that props and sets could not be tracked.

    Right now, I’m thinking that the best solution will need to be a home brewed variance from Blade to UE4. We would need to abandon pegasus and write our own solution. Could this be done? Vicon thinks it can be done. We now would need to find an engineer to do the work for us.
     

  • Extended Vive Capability

    I bit the bullet and pre-ordered my Vive yesterday. Now I just need to wait for it to arrive in early April.

    In the mean time I will continue researching adding extended range to the Vive.

    Developers Stress Level Zero are doing just that with the Vive Lighthouse. Evidently, the lighthouse is just a dumb laser and the sensor does all of the work, picking up the laser signal and using the information to calculate position and orientation. These guys at Stress Level Zero experiment around, pushing the limites of the Vive’s ranch. Here are some of their results as posted in the Road to VR article, Developer pushes Valve’s lighthouse tracking to its limits.

    Evidently the lighthouse chain can be strung together. However, as expressed in this video, some hacking may be required:

    This would be very cool to employ a volume of Lighthouse emitters to produce a 3 D Lazer Mocap studio.

     

  • HTC Vive: Welcome to the fray!

    These are indeed exciting times!

    HTC Vive has just drop its hat into the VR ring with with HTC Vive; Valve’s HR headset:

    HTC Vive

    Not much is known about this headset but supposedly they will have a commercial version out by the end of the year. It sounds like it is a beefier, faster version of the Oculus Rift. Maybe Vive has solved some tracking issues too? We look forward to finding out.

    I have heard that Valve will be introducing the new headset at GDC this week. I look forward in having a hands-on demo!

    Also, in related news, I have just found out a site I have been frequenting lately, WEMO.IO,  is actually a VR company run by old associates, WEVR. They have just announced a partnership with Valve to be a development partner for their new headset. From the initial looks of it WEVR is foccussing on a suite of VR production tools as well as producing their own VR content.

    I’ll need to drop a few emails to what some of the old folks are up to. It’s re-assuring confirmation to know that the wave that has been building for the last few years is actually seen by other like-minded souls.