Comments on: Head Tracking VR Display

By: Kerjack

Kerjack — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 22:58:44 +0000

Well, $80 - $199 if I recall. But lets see you would need a wiimote + blue tooth adapter + (unless you are going to cart your wii around) a IR light source. Oh and normally you need to pay for the software to make it all work. Which he is either a nice guy and is giving it away or he can’t sell it because of patent infringements, both very possible. Not to mention the software is sort of incomplete.

But thats just for it to work with the PC. I agree using a wiimote plus an additional IR bar makes a lot more sense for use with the Wii if the software would ever support it. But again that could be because of patent/licensing issues.

Either way, TrackIR is a great product and has been around for awhile so it deserved mention. Oh and BTW the Wiimote lacks the proper sensors to track the Yaw axis.

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 22:26:00 +0000

I wonder, especially given Kerjack’s comment….
Why not just mount the wiimote on your head, considering that not only does it have the positional sensing from the IR, but *tilt* and motion sensing as well?

And for the commenters mentioning the TrackIR–how much does the TrackIR cost again, compared to buying just a Wiimote?

By: Kerjack

Kerjack — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 21:39:02 +0000

Also if he added one more IR dot (or switched to a stationary light source paired with reflective IR tape like TrackIR) he could go from 3 DegreesOfFreedom to 6 DOF. With 2 points you can only track the X, Y and Z planes but not Pitch, Roll and Yaw axises.

By: Kerjack

Kerjack — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 21:18:15 +0000

Boing thwack is right, Natural Point’s TrackIR has been doing this for years and has become totally indispensable in flight simulators. Although it is great to see someone adapt Nintendo’s tech to act in the same manner and in conjunction with a second IR device I wouldn’t call it to much of an original thought.

Still, major props to the guy for showing how it could be easily adapted to make the Wii experience that much better.

By: IanJ

IanJ — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 20:24:09 +0000

thats nuckin futs! I am glad I own a wii and hope nintendo does something good with this

By: Deooirian

Deooirian — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 12:01:08 +0000

That was pretty trippy. Who would have thought that something like that was even possible.

By: Boing thwack.

Boing thwack. — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 08:03:22 +0000

trackIR from Naturalpoint already does this better, all they need is higher volume sales through more game support from developers. That would bring the price point down far enough that not just us flying/racing sim junkies would get them. The only FPS that really supports this is Armed Assault.

By: weatherguy

weatherguy — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 07:15:20 +0000

Agreed! That’s just incredible. Let’s hope it makes it to the Wii - or the next gen systems in 5 years or so (sigh) - at the very least.

By: kradidark

kradidark — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 00:58:38 +0000

wow i can see the countless methods of peopel hurting themselfes while playing with headtracking…*spaces out*

By: Aric

Aric — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 23:57:18 +0000

now imagine what this would look like on a projector screen on a wall… -drools-