crwdns2933803:07crwdne2933803:0
crwdns2933797:0Sam Goldheartcrwdnd2933797:0crwdne2933797:0
crwdns2936043:0crwdne2936043:0 crwdns2933505:0crwdne2933505:0 Sam Goldheart
- crwdns2933769:0crwdne2933769:0
- crwdns2933771:0crwdne2933771:0
- crwdns2933801:0crwdne2933801:0
crwdns2933807:0crwdne2933807:0
| - | [* black] Dangling off the headset's smoothly curved sides, a mysterious cube. What is it? |
|---|---|
| - | [* black] Survey says: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_coil#Electromagnets|EM sensor coils|new_window=true] for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positional_tracking#Magnetic_Tracking|tracking the position|new_window=true] of the totem. |
| - | [* icon_note] Magnetic tracking relies on those three copper coils forming three perpendicular magnetic fields. Then the fields' intensity in relation to the totem is measured to determine the position and orientation of the totem relative to the headset. |
| - | [* black] The copper Faraday shield sprayed onto the plastic is likely to protect the coils from RF waves, while allowing the magnetic field to pass through. |
| - | [* black] The somewhat awkward integration into the headset suggests this may have been a last-minute addition. (Or was it? Keep reading for a different theory.) |
| - | [* black] Speaking of the totem, here's the hardware itself, an 8.4 Wh battery and a huge set of coil windings to help with EM tracking. |
| - | [* icon_note] Not pictured: we also dug up a couple switches, a hall-effect-controlled trigger, and what looks like a custom-designed [https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/MGWOokdPJY2ZEjdU|trackpad ringed with LEDs|new_window=true] (for future light-tracking hardware, perhaps?). |
| + | [* black] Survey says: a six-degrees-of-freedom [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_coil#Electromagnets|magnetic sensor coil|new_window=true] for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positional_tracking#Magnetic_Tracking|tracking the position|new_window=true] of the controller. |
| + | [* icon_note] The intensity of the three perpendicular magnetic fields is measured to determine the position and orientation of the controller relative to the headset. |
| + | [* black] Cracking open the controller, we find the—much bigger—emitting half of the tracker, and an 8.4 Wh battery to boot. |
| + | [* black] The copper shileding sprayed into each housing piece protects the coils from interference, and helps direct the magnetic field. |
| + | [* black] Interference may explain the tracker's odd placement, but this may be a temporary solution. It's old tech, and will probably be harder for left-handed use. |
| + | [* icon_note] Not pictured: we also dug up what looks like a custom-designed [https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/MGWOokdPJY2ZEjdU|trackpad ringed with LEDs|new_window=true] (for future light-tracking hardware, perhaps?). |