Low cost Virtual Reality?

I originally posted to the "stereo3D Problem" topic, but decided to move to a new thread now that I have some new info;

I've come across

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which sells a 6dof head tracker for under $100. (though for some reason one of the angles is supressed) It has 1mm positional accuracy, and 1degree angle accuracy. This headtracker is the final element, and should make virtual reality very cheap to implement. However, their product is marketed as a mouse alternative, not a VR product.

I've E-mailed the company, asking if they have or know of any VR or CAD software which is compatable with their drivers. Here is his reply,

--------------- The data output of Cymouse is rather basic. At the end, you have five coordinates representing the position of the mobile sensor. The coordinates are floating point precise, however, the precision can be scaled down if not needed. I guess it would depend on how the SolidWorks interface expects the incoming information. I know that the current product does not attempt to interface with any other hardware on the system, but that doesn't mean such a thing could not be done.

-Dave

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I am really puzzled that no company has jumped on this. It probably wouldn't take much code to implement.

Joe Dunfee

Reply to
Smiley
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The key to a tracker is latency - how quickly can it detect change in position or velocity or acceleration, convert that to numbers and feed it sensibly to the CPU. Any delay over 10ms is detectable by a decent responsive human, and the lag can cause dizziness, loss of spatial awareness, and so on (the puke factor). ie. You move your head, the image takes a while to catch up. With S/W complex graphics, the delay would be even longer. Stick to flat screens. HMDs don't cut it in CAD.

an old VR thespian

bp

Reply to
Brian Park

[Your reply too over a day on Google. I tried posting this not via another server, but ran into problems, so it may appear twice)

In my case, I am actually thinking about fishtank VR. I.e. just using a desktop 19" monitor. Is this type of system as suceptible to delay issues?

I am guessing that the result will be that the object seems to be less fixed in place... perhaps "sloshing" around a bit in its "fishtank"?

Ultimately, my goal is not for myself. When another person looks over my shoulder at a complex model, all they see just a bunch of colored lines criss-crossing the screen. But because I already know what I am looking at, it is possible for me to see the 3d object.

Of course, the Shaded images, and just regular orbiting is a major help. But there are still many times I will go up to the storage area to see something created before I came to the company. The reason I must do this, is that the real object is MUCH easier to understand than a CAD 3d model.

I am speculating that stereo vision is not necessarily the most important aspect of this. Just being able to bob your head around to look at something seems to be an important part of seeing it. Is this true in your experience?

Finally, is a "Fishtank VR" system as suceptible to delay issues and HMD's?

Joe

Reply to
Smiley

Just an update. I tried the Cam2Pan software

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(a free 30 day trial, and you use your own camera).

The results were interesting. I used the rotate view command, with the settings for its sensitivity way down. I also set the speed on the Cam2Pan software very low (values like 3 to 6)

I can't seem to get the view angle to really coordinate with my viewpoint, if the object were really inside the monitor. I am still playing around with it. I haven't tried it with stereo glasses yet.

Just to give you something to play with over the weekend.

Joe D

Reply to
Smiley

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