Forum Discussion
WorldViz PPT (Precision Position Tracking) motion tracking?
WorldViz claim that their PPT (Precision Position Tracking) optical 6DoF (six degrees of freedom) motion tracking solutions are cost effective and ideal solution for real-time applications such as Vir...
Optical, inertial, electromagnetic ...
While there continue to be many approaches to head tracking for use in immersive virtual reality, few stand out as effective as optical for head position and inertial for head rotation. Combined, optical-inertial hybrid solutions give fast and precise responses to rotations (via inertial sensors) and reliably accurate responses over long distance to translations (via optical sensors). From my experience, neither optical nor inertial alone provide satisfactory tracking for wide area applications (e.g., spaces 5 x 5 meters and beyond).
WorldViz has promoted hybrid tracking for years, and in my opinion it continues to be the only viable solution for wide area tracking. Latency is extremely low where it counts (head rotations), and at 180 fps the optical sensors we use deliver on responsiveness and not just accuracy.
The upcoming Dev Kit 2 by Oculus follows this hybrid approach and from my firsthand experience at CES this year, it's a stellar implementation based on a single camera, which combined with the new low-persistence display electronics makes for one of the best VR experiences I've had.
Is WorldViz PPT technology consumer priced? No, definitely not. Might it be in the future? Perhaps, especially if the market for wide-area tracking grows at anywhere near the pace we've seen for seated VR. Today, WorldViz is one of few firms providing a wide-area solution designed for VR professionals.
Here's an example of wide-area tracking:
http://youtu.be/ABxluv1FlD4
and an article showcasing someone who makes great use of it:
http://mashable.com/2014/03/26/zuckerberg-tried-stanford-vr-oculus-rift/
Andy Beall
CEO & CTO of WorldViz
While there continue to be many approaches to head tracking for use in immersive virtual reality, few stand out as effective as optical for head position and inertial for head rotation. Combined, optical-inertial hybrid solutions give fast and precise responses to rotations (via inertial sensors) and reliably accurate responses over long distance to translations (via optical sensors). From my experience, neither optical nor inertial alone provide satisfactory tracking for wide area applications (e.g., spaces 5 x 5 meters and beyond).
WorldViz has promoted hybrid tracking for years, and in my opinion it continues to be the only viable solution for wide area tracking. Latency is extremely low where it counts (head rotations), and at 180 fps the optical sensors we use deliver on responsiveness and not just accuracy.
The upcoming Dev Kit 2 by Oculus follows this hybrid approach and from my firsthand experience at CES this year, it's a stellar implementation based on a single camera, which combined with the new low-persistence display electronics makes for one of the best VR experiences I've had.
Is WorldViz PPT technology consumer priced? No, definitely not. Might it be in the future? Perhaps, especially if the market for wide-area tracking grows at anywhere near the pace we've seen for seated VR. Today, WorldViz is one of few firms providing a wide-area solution designed for VR professionals.
Here's an example of wide-area tracking:
http://youtu.be/ABxluv1FlD4
and an article showcasing someone who makes great use of it:
http://mashable.com/2014/03/26/zuckerberg-tried-stanford-vr-oculus-rift/
Andy Beall
CEO & CTO of WorldViz