What Is VR Full Body Tracking? [A Detailed Overview]
Did you know that you can fight alongside your favorite character in your best movie or game? This sounds amazing! Imagine that it is possible for you to swim with fishes and you will not need equipment. Now, this sounds impossible! Well, with the advancement of technology, this is not entirely impossible due to full body tracking virtual reality.
This concept may seem difficult for you to conceptualize. After all, we live in the real world, but the virtual reality involves using high-performing computers such as gloves and headsets, to live in an imaginary world.
Virtual Reality Moves to the Next Phase
Due to the advancement of technology, virtual reality is set to transform into a whole-body experience commonly known as VR full body tracking. Full body tracking in virtual reality is made possible through the use of technological devices which are attached to the feet and the hands of the user, which enables the tracking of their position in the space. The technology was tested and demonstrated at the computer graphic and interactive technique conference that was held at Siggraph.
To understand correctly what virtual reality full body tracking means, we should first understand what Virtual reality entails. In simple terms, virtual reality is living through computers that don’t exist in reality. Does this make sense? To put it better, virtual reality can be understood through internalization of its name because its definition originates from its name. The name simply means close reality. Therefore, it is the technology that belongs you close to computer reality as possible.
In technical term, the close reality is the term that is used to denote 3-D technology. This is the technology that is generated in the computers’ environment and can be investigated and interacted with many people. Through the use of high-tech devices, the participants get completely associated and immersed by objects that perform a series of the environment.
VR Full Body Tracking
We have already seen that virtual reality allows you to visualize what the characters in the game are doing. The computer devices make you feel like one of the participants. Now, full body tracking in the virtual reality gives you the entire virtual reality. In order to experience full body tracking experience, you need three things.
First, you need a conceivable and some sort of lavishly definitude investigation virtual world. These are things like production devices and PC models. Second, a high tech personal computer which can change rapidly and recognize what you do and where you go. By doing so, the personal computer is able to adapt quickly, giving you a continuous experience. Yes, it should work like in reality, what you hear or see should change as soon as the movie move.
Lastly, it would help if you had equipment that should be connected to your personal computer. The role of the equipment is to involve you in the virtual world as you meander around. For a full experience, you will need to put on other devices such as the head-mounted display which has two screens and sounds. You will also need to put on at least one tangible gloves.
What Else Do You Need for Full Body Tracking in Virtual Reality?
It can’t be a virtual reality full body tracking without the involvement of the technology created by OptiTrack. OptiTrack technology has been tested, demonstrated and proven in a recent conference held at Siggraph. All the virtual reality company that gets technical problems with their system gets help from OptiTrack Company.
So, how does OptiTrack technology work in full body tracking? It works similarly with HTC Vive and Vive Trackers. They give you small plastic technological devices that you are supposed to attach to your wrist. After doing so, the vive system can track the location of your hands in the space.
Benefits of OptiTrack Technology
OptiTrack developed their 3D tracking solutions a decade ago and started selling it to the companies. The company targeted customers who are in the visual effects industry who needed OptiTrack technology in order to add human feeling to the animated characters. The company achieved this by putting the real-life actors and famous athletes into motion, among many other things.
Recently, OptiTrack management realized that VR companies are potential customers for their tracking solutions. Therefore, they decided to sell the same product to them since all the emerging world hardware vendors in virtual reality were concentrating on non-commercial applications. During this time, Oculus and Vive were the only good trackers in the market. However, these solutions were limited to room-scale. According to Brian Niles, OptiTrack Chief Strategy Officer, OptiTrack solutions are better since they don’t have a limit.
Also, OptiTrack is able to work in large spaces. Before the emergency of this technology, no one thought that there would be any solution that would be able to work in areas measuring 10,000 square feet and more. This is now possible courtesy of the OptiTrack technology. Well, other technologies such as Oculus Rift and HTC Vive also offer virtual reality full body tracking to the games and movies that use 3D space. However, they cannot cover any area that is beyond 150 square feet. Yes, this is enough for a living room but too small for a virtual reality centre.
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Self Calibrated Tracking System
You want a technology that can enable you to pick a wide range of props when in virtual reality? Yes, this is another advantage of OptiTrack in addition to covering significant areas. The technology ensures that every accessory that you pick, such as guns, flashlights, and any other object is accurately represented in the virtual reality as the game goes on. The best thing is that the company has extended this tracking experience to the players themselves. Therefore, with this technology, you can entirely rely on multi-player experiences and their movements in virtual reality.
Another advantage is the self-calibrating tracking system that the company recently introduced at SigGraph, which enables full body tracking. The technology, commonly known as motion tracking gives the required calibration to the cameras that are used. The operators can account for small structural movements since they mostly re-calibrate their sets every day. During the fundamental movements, the employees typically walk in the space where they wave a special wand to confirm whether all the cameras in place and working.
The best thing with OptiTrack system is that it can do all this kind of calibration by itself while still, it is in use. Some say that this is not a significant advancement, but they forget that it is the biggest deal in the nascent industry. Therefore, if you have a movie theatre, you don’t need to hire expensive specialists in every location, just try to bring VR to your mall.
Best Full Body Tracker for Virtual Reality?
The OptiTrack has the best trackers for full body virtual tracking. In fact, the technology is so much advanced that it can figure out a random general location. Not many virtual solutions can be able to see and react to where the body is actually when looked down in a massive step forward. This is why we believe that OptiTrack technology cannot match any other virtual solutions as it comfortably does this. Any person who has usedOptiTrack before can confirm that this is a reality. It is the only technology that offers the tracking experience that allows you to use your hands in virtual reality space. Is this not amazing?
Yes, we have gotten this far in the invention of the technological devices. Are we getting ahead of ourselves? There is still more technology that is in the testing stage, which is yet to be used. Perhaps we will be able to see it in the near future. For now, it is being displayed as a proof-of-concept, and we are not aware of when to expect it in a local arcade. However, it will be soon.
Overall, virtual reality will make games and movie theatres a more exciting experience. It is possible to participate in the movie as a character that you like courtesy of the technological developments. One of these developments, as already discussed, is OptiTrack will allows full body virtual tracking. It uses technological devices that are attached to wrist and feet, which enables tracking of the objects in the space. The technology has several advantages, all of which has been addressed in this article. Transform your theatre centre to a fantastic experience through this technology.