Virtual Reality is a way to immerse people into entertaining experiences, but in order to get more immersive, technology has to be able to replicate our real-life movements.
Tracking Full Body Movement in Virtual Reality
For tracking the user’s hands in VR, tech giants such as Microsoft and Intel have RealSense, Oculus has Pebbles and Nimble, while many other startups are developing their prototypes. The head is already tracked with VR headsets. But users want to play martial arts video games, feel control over their full virtual body or be able to dodge objects in VR. We all want to feel a full immersion. So, what are the solutions that already exist or under development?
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Microsoft Kinect
Kinect 2.0 for Windows was released on July 15th of 2014. Where is it and why isn’t it used for VR? Kinect was the first and closest thing we ever had that somehow ‘tracked’ full body motion, but its technology was far from being useful for VR due to the level of immersion and complexity Virtual Reality applications currently have. However, Microsoft has developed a hand tracking system based on the Kinect. It’s calledHandpose and it uses a camera to track people’s hand movements with impressive detail.
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Perception Neuron
The Perception Neuron system is based on individual tracking sensors called Neurons. Each sensor is no larger than a penny and weighs just over a gram. It captures everything from arm movement, to finger motion, and even full body kinematics. The Perception Neuron system adapts to every need. Neuros just need to be placed where they are needed to capture the level of detail and body movements that it is required for any project.
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Sixense
The STEM System™ developed by Sixense, is a wireless, motion tracking platform for video games, virtual reality, and much more. It allows users to interact naturally with video games or other applications by tracking the full position and orientation of the body at all times, whether sit at the desktop or moving throughout the living room.
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Virtuix Omni
The Omni involves the entire body and revolutionize the gaming experience. Walk, run, strafe, sit, or jump in a 3D space to freely move your avatar without any restraint. Enjoy the adventure and transport yourself beyond your chair. The Omni immerses you in virtual reality quests while keeping you in shape for all the exercise you do.
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Source: Virtual Reality Times