Tundra Labs , a company that produces chips and development kits for devices using SteamVR Tracking, create your own accessory for tracking ecosystem. The company is positioning its Tundra Tracker as a smaller, cheaper and best alternative to the HTC Vive Tracker. The campaign on Kickstarter to Fund the project and collect feedback scheduled for next month.
An open ecosystem of SteamVR tracking
Valve’s SteamVR Tracking is an open source tracking system that allows any third party to create the device that is monitored base stations SteamVR. Own Valve Index headset, and headset third-party manufacturers such as HTC and Pimax use a common system for high-quality tracking in the scale of the room. Flexible system enables users to combine and match a device (for example, the ability to use a headset, the Index controllers, Vive) and also allows you to add additional devices, such as HTC Vive Tracker, which is a versatile tool for SteamVR tracking device that you can attach to such things as hands and feet to trace them in VR.
As the only available for a consumer device of its kind, the Vive Tracker was actually the tracker for General-purpose ecosystem SteamVR Tracking. It is typically used to increase the motion capture VR by attaching to the legs and thighs of the user, providing, thus, six tracking points of the body (head, hands, waist and feet), but not three normal (head and hands). This allows you to more accurately capture and display of player movement, giving avatars and virtual reality impressively wide range of movements.
Friendly competition
In fact, compared to the Vive Tracker is inevitable; the founder of Tundra Labs Luke Beno says Tundra Tracker will exceed the current operator for several reasons.
In particular, it is expected that the device will be “60% less, consume about 50% less energy, weigh 50% less and have twice the battery life”, compared to the Vive Tracker. Beno is also planning to put a Tracker Tundra at a slightly lower price than the Vive Tracker for $ 100, and additional discounts on bundles of trackers.
But Tundra Tracker is not only a competitor, it can also work in tandem with the Vive Tracker, allowing users who have purchased the Vive trackers to expand their tracking configuration without the need to switch from one tracker to another.
In fact, users can connect the Vive trackers and Tundra, and even the Index controllers USB dongle Tundra Tracker. “This is a wonderful open nature of the ecosystem SteamVR”says Beno.
Accommodation and installation
According to Benoit, thanks to the reduced size and weight Tracker Tundra will also offer a more flexible deployment options.
“Form tracker designed to fit in places, unavailable for Vive Tracker. Base by default has two loops through which a user can pass a belt or shoelaces for shoes. I’m also thinking about the integration of the magnets in the base, so it can be attached to the metal plate, which can be embed or sew into clothes.”
Tundra Labs also considers other base plate for a variety of applications, but first plans to gather feedback from the potential customers. “I wanted to reflect the idea of” massive use “[mounting options tracker] that it was not a universal solution as Vive Tracker”, he says.
Tundra Tracker on Kickstarter
Tundra Labs will hold a Kickstarter campaign for Tundra Tracker, which is scheduled to start in January, and deliveries will begin later this year.
Kickstarter while details are still being finalized, Beno reports that Tundra Labs will also offer a “multiport keys” through Kickstarter that will allow users to connect multiple trackers (Tundra or Vive) with a single USB connection.
It is planned to offer the multi-port dongle, able to combine up to three, five or seven trackers, respectively. They are also small enough in size to fit in the hole in the front of the headset Valve Index, which will provide a reliable connection keys trackers.
According to Benoit, in addition to consumer Tundra Tracker and multi-key, Kickstarter will also offer tracker Dev Edition that includes “a very broad extension connector”that can be used by other companies to create functional tracked accessories, such as VR-weapons, gloves and much more.
