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Tracking Platforms and Peripherals
An (under construction) list of different platforms suited to different VR Research needs, along with relevant evaluative articles and associated peripherals as relevant. Some platforms will have associated software and hardware. This list will primarily focus on platforms with a precedent for use in research settings.
Compatibility Legend
- 🟢 Unity
- 🟧 Unreal Engine
- ⬜ Platform-agnostic/Multiplatform
SteamVR is a virtual reality platform developed by Valve. It uses the OpenVR API to support a wide range of VR devices, including the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality headsets. SteamVR also includes a set of tools for developers, such as the SteamVR SDK and the SteamVR Input System. Some recent experimental work has shown SteamVR trackers as capable of measuring high quality positional data for research in certain contexts, making it a relatively affordable way to record this data.
- SDK Repository - contains the OpenVR SDK, which is the software development kit for SteamVR. It includes documentation, samples, and other resources to aid SteamVR development.
- OpenVR Advanced Settings - a third-party tool that allows users to customize various settings and options in SteamVR, such as manipulating the chaperone bounds and tracking universe, or creating settings profiles.
- Base Station FOV Viewer A Unity app that displays the field of view, direction and range of your SteamVR lighthouses in a 3D environment.
- The accuracy and precision of position and orientation tracking in the HTC vive virtual reality system for scientific research (Niehorster et al., 2017) - Observed that the SteamVR tracking system has a tilted ground plane (incorrect roll and pitch), and that HMD tracking loss changes the tilt.
- Static and Dynamic Accuracy and Occlusion Robustness of SteamVR Tracking 2.0 in Multi-Base Station Setups (Kuhlmann de Canaviri et al., 2023) - A tightly controlled evaluation of tracking accuracy and robustness of SteamVR 2.0 with 2 vs. 4 lighthouses. Using 4 lighthouses generally improves positional measurements.
- Accuracy Investigation of the Pose Determination of a VR System (Bauer et al., 2021) - An assessment of SteamVR 2.0, showing high reproducibility of measurements but similar (and much larger) systematic errors as in Niehorster et al. (2017). Includes a description of the mechanism by which the HMD communicates with the lighthouses, and why this setup proves problematic at times.
- Lighthouse Tracking Examined - A developer's technical breakdown on lighthouse tracking intricacies.
🟢🟧 Optitrack
OptiTrack is a motion capture system that provides high-precision, real-time tracking of objects and people. It uses cameras and infrared markers (passive or active) to track the position and orientation of objects in 3D space. OptiTrack is used in a wide range of applications, including animation, film production, sports training, and research. It is a popular choice for VR research due to its high precision and wide range of tracking options.
Worldviz-PPT is a VR motion tracking system developed by WorldViz, a company that specializes in VR technology for enterprise and research applications. "Precision Position Tracking" uses active infrared markers and cameras to provide accurate, low-latency tracking of objects and people in 3D space. Worldviz-PPT is often used in research settings, such as cognitive psychology and spatial cognition studies, as it allows for precise measurements and data collection.
⬜ VRPN
VRPN is a middleware library that allows for the tracking of VR devices and other peripheral devices over a network. It was designed to allow for the use of multiple different tracking systems and devices in a single VR application, and to allow for the tracking data to be shared between multiple applications and computers. It supports a wide range of tracking devices and protocols, including OptiTrack, Worldviz-PPT, and many other motion capture systems.
- 🟢 UVRPN - A plugin that implements VRPN-based trackers and controllers in Unity.