Inside-Out Position Tracking Software For VR, AR Device OEMs: Eonite Announces Vantage Head Tracker

[kcarbotte]

Eonite, a company that specializes in computer vision technology, revealed a multi-platform software package that enables 6DoF inside-out tracking capabilities for any device with depth sensing cameras, such as VR and AR HMDs, drones, or robots.

Inside-Out Position Tracking Software For VR, AR Device OEMs: Eonite Announces Vantage Head Tracker : Read more

 

[problematiq]

That's funny, I was just thinking about this on my way to work this morning. "why don't they use multiple camera's and track movement for positional tracking." I didn't think about latency, but it appears that's not a problem.

 

[problematiq]

One problem I could forsee, How do you tell the device where position x-0 y-0 z-0 is? You can track position by movement, but can you track/reset your starting position?

I suppose you could put a sticker on the wall.

 

[bit_user]

This is functionally equivalent to Google's Tango, MS' Hololens, and whatever Intel is using for their AR/MR HMD. Not to say it's not faster, more accurate, or doesn't do more. But, the core functionality is the same.

BTW, it's no coincidence they didn't demo this in a room with blank, white walls. I'm sure the bookshelf was there to aid tracking.

One problem I could forsee, How do you tell the device where position x-0 y-0 z-0 is? You can track position by movement, but can you track/reset your starting position?

The origin is arbitrary. What's important is that the device maintains a stable coordinate frame. If you want to map a different point as the origin, that's just a simple transform you can apply to the pose determined by their SLAM system.

Think of it like this: if you want to tell the app "treat this as the home position", it can take the pose (position + orientation) and simply offset all future pose readings by that amount.

 

[problematiq]

This is functionally equivalent to Google's Tango, MS' Hololens, and whatever Intel is using for their AR/MR HMD. Not to say it's not faster, more accurate, or doesn't do more. But, the core functionality is the same.

BTW, it's no coincidence they didn't demo this in a room with blank, white walls. I'm sure the bookshelf was there to aid tracking.

One problem I could forsee, How do you tell the device where position x-0 y-0 z-0 is? You can track position by movement, but can you track/reset your starting position?

The origin is arbitrary. What's important is that the device maintains a stable coordinate frame. If you want to map a different point as the origin, that's just a simple transform you can apply to the pose determined by their SLAM system.

Think of it like this: if you want to tell the app "treat this as the home position", it can take the pose (position + orientation) and simply offset all future pose readings by that amount.

It becomes a problem when you boot the device while looking at anything less than level elevation. Then your home position then becomes off canter.

 

[bit_user]

It becomes a problem when you boot the device while looking at anything less than level elevation. Then your home position then becomes off canter.

I don't follow.

For one thing, these systems can usually detect the ground plane (and a lot of IMUs seem to have magnetometers, which also help detect orientation). If they wanted it to auto-level, they certainly could.

 

[problematiq]

It becomes a problem when you boot the device while looking at anything less than level elevation. Then your home position then becomes off canter.

I don't follow.

For one thing, these systems can usually detect the ground plane (and I'm not sure exactly what they get out of the IMU). If they wanted it to auto-level, they certainly could.

You're talking about the ability to sense what is level solely based on a Kinect sensor. the HMD's themselves cannot necessarily tell what is level and what is not. Some have a level sensor, sure. But other HMD's rely on external camera's/lasers to tell the HMD where it is and where it is pointing.

 

[bit_user]

You're talking about the ability to sense what is level solely based on a Kinect sensor.

From the article:

Eonite’s Vantage Head Tracker technology combines depth information from embedded cameras and internal IMU sensors to track your headset’s position in 3D space.

If the IMU has a 3-axis magnetometer, then it can trivially get orientation. Otherwise, it has to rely on ground plane detection. That should work well enough, for most cases.

 

[problematiq]

You're talking about the ability to sense what is level solely based on a Kinect sensor.

From the article:

Eonite’s Vantage Head Tracker technology combines depth information from embedded cameras and internal IMU sensors to track your headset’s position in 3D space.

If the IMU has a 3-axis magnetometer, then it can trivially get orientation. Otherwise, it has to rely on ground plane detection. That should work well enough, for most cases.

BAH! it has been a long time since I read the article. You are correct sir.