The image in front of you shifts as you angle your head or look up and down. This is called head tracking. A system called 6⁰ of freedom or 6DoF plots the head in terms of the Z, X and Y axis to measure the user’s head movements when they move side to side, shoulder to shoulder and backward and forward. Different internal components can be used in head-tracking systems like an accelerometer, magnetometer, and gyroscope. Head-tracking technology requires low latency to be effective. It should be 50 milliseconds, or there will be a time lag when the VR environment shifts or when the user turns his head. For instance, the Oculus Rift has a minimized lag of only 30 milliseconds.
VR headsets can be used to improve the sense of immersion. Game and app developers can use 3D or binaural audio to take advantage of the head-tracking technology of VR headsets. Doing so can give users the sense that sound is coming to the side of them, in the distance or from behind.
Big VR manufacturers are also working on motion tracking. Users see their hands in a virtual space when they look down while wearing a VR headset. For instance, the Oculus Touch makes users feel like they are using their hands in virtual reality. They grab the wireless controllers and use triggers, buttons, and thumbsticks during virtual reality games. Each controller has sensors that detect gestures like waving and pointing.
The controllers for HTC Vive have two base stations that sweep the room with lasers and detect the exact position of the user’s hands and head. This is done based on the timing of when the user hit the photocell sensor around the handheld controller and on the headset. The controllers have physical buttons as well. It’s possible to simulate walking around a VR setting with in-game redirections by hooking a joystick or Xbox controller to your computer, treadmills, voice controls, and smart gloves. If you are using Oculus, you can track your physical position inside a room by matching it the HTC Vive. You can buy a third sensor and add more coverage to your VR play area.
Another feature of virtual reality is eye tracking. The headset has an infrared sensor that monitors the eyes. It doesn’t only allow in-game characters to precisely react to where you are looking, but also makes the depth of field more authentic. Everything in regular VR headsets is in pin-sharp focus. In the real world, the foreground blurs when your eyes look at an object far off. VR headsets are equipped with a graphics engine that simulates this in a virtual space. A hi-resolution displayed is needed to prevent the effect of viewing through a grid. What the eyes focus on should be as realistic as possible. If there’s no eye tracking involved, the user might experience simulation sickness. This is because everything in focus as they move their eyes, but not their head.
VR technology offers a lot of opportunities for brands to create wonderful marketing content, allowing them to attract customers and establish themselves as leaders in innovation. New developments in the future will create a truly immersive experience for everyone. Big companies such as HTC, Google and Oculus are investing a lot of time and effort in improving the current capabilities of VR headsets.