In 2017 the world of virtual reality was introduced to the new HTC Vive trackers, which expands our VR experiences to a completely new level. It is now possible to bring real-world objects into virtual worlds using object tracking and there are almost no limits as to what we can track.

“The Vive Tracker opens up a whole new set of experiences that can take advantage of full body tracking and a number of peripherals that set VR experiences on Vive apart.”
– Daniel O’Brien, General Manager, EMEA & Americas at HTC Vive.

 

HTC’s Vive trackers are small devices that communicate with Steam VR lighthouses via infrared signals, the same technology as the Head-Mounted Display (HMD) and Controllers already use. They send out location, orientation and accelerometer information cover a 270-degree area around themselves.

Developers can also make use of pogo pins, allowing them to become input devices for different purposes, such as haptic feedback, gloves or even toy weapons.

The possibilities are endless: From tracking your body movement in a training program to tracking a real-world camera for mixed reality composition. This allows us to create, not only even more immersive and interactive VR experiences, but we can create a bridge between the spectators and the player.

In testing at Holosphere’s VR lab, the tracking data was accurate enough that we could throw physical objects (with virtual equivalents) to a subject in VR, and the synchronization between the two was sufficient for the user to judge and catch the object.

At the time of writing, these object tracking devices are only available on a limited basis to developers and industry insiders, but as they become smaller and more uses are devised for them, it won’t be long until they have the chance to become a mainstay of VR experiences.