Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/863766
j u ly . a u g u s t 2 0 1 7 c g w 7 V I E W P O I N T this disbelief can result in a response varying from disin- terest all the way to nausea. There are a multitude of things that go into the HMD that make the experience plausible – and immersive. Display resolution, frame rate, field of view, lensing, and then a much longer list that is the result of the world's top researchers grinding away at the problem for years. One very critical element that is very easy to understand is knowing the position (X, Y, Z) and orientation (Rx, Ry, Rz) of the participant's head, with extreme accuracy, at very high sample rates, and with very low latency. Six degrees of freedom (DoF) tracking is what tells the computer which images to render for that HMD at precisely that time – based on where the participant's head is positioned and pointing at that moment. Several of the leading teams have made really good trackers whose performance is responsi- ble for some of the enthusiasm for VR's potential. The Oculus and HTC Vive teams both have fantastic tracking technologies that deliver great performance and are easy to set up for nearly any consumer. However, these tracking systems are designed and optimized for a living room sized environment – their target market. But a new set of crazies have realized that if you allow the immersed people to move around in a much larger area, the experience variety and content possibilities increase immensely. Enter VR arcades, or "out-of-home" VR experi- ences. And here, mocap has delivered again. T H E W A R E H O U S E M O D E L In addition to making VR less isolating, the warehouse model broadens public access. While the average consumer may balk at shelling out $1,000-plus for a high-end HMD and PC required to run consumer-level experiences, a more modest ticket price may entice them to give VR a try – especially if they know they'll be getting pre- mium entertainment. Broadly rolling out warehouse-scale VR, in a model reminiscent of laser tag, could be an excellent way to bring this platform to the masses by offering an ex- perience not available in most homes. Installations can easily cycle through content to en- tertain repeat customers, since the preparation is generally minimal and modular. The emergence of the Ocu- lus DK1 led to the founding of countless dedicated VR com- panies or divisions of notable production or postproduction powerhouses, with impressive results. Now, companies dedi- cated to warehouse-scale VR, like The Void, have answered the demand for high-end ex- periences, with new compa- nies emerging regularly that are exploring this particular flavor of VR. Nomadic, founded by ILM veterans, similarly aims to generate a new type of large- scale immersive entertainment experience leveraging retail space and modular sets to offer multiple experiences in the same footprint. Although warehouse-scale VR seems to be the catalyst that the industry needs to explode, successful execution of projects at this scale comes with a unique set of challeng- es. Increasing the footprint requires more real estate; and if not implemented correct- ly, the accumulated cost of operation can add up fast. The technical requirements to manage motion-tracking sys- tems, HMDs, and other tracked objects require technicians for setup and maintenance, and systems may need to move locations or change configura- tions frequently. Selecting the right motion-tracking system is key for warehouse-scale VR installations to thrive and reach profitability. To specifically address these concerns, OptiTrack has developed new technologies while also optimizing existing tools for warehouse-scale VR. At GDC 2017, the company debuted OptiTrack Active. It's a solution designed to radi- cally simplify manufacturing and deployment efforts for warehouse-scale VR experi- ences. Unlike passive tracking solutions, which require reflective markers in unique patterns to be tracked, Active uses infrared LEDs to deliver real-time marker identifi- cation and positioning. This allows HMDs, weapons, and other in-scene elements to be produced at scale, to min- imize cost, complexity, and enable easy and fast setup for new installations. Since the camera that tracks the LEDs is strobeless, it costs 40 percent less than its passive tracking equiva- lent. It's also robust enough to withstand repeated setup and use, and simple enough to be operated by non-technical staff with limited training. For warehouse-scale VR to take off, motion-tracking systems need to be as plug-and-play as possible, and we've been able to package complex technology in a straightfor- ward way. We think that it's only a matter of time before motion-tracking systems can be operated like a simple appliance to power the next generation of consumer entertainment experiences. If there's anything we've learned from stereoscopic 3D's failure to go consumer mainstream, it's that consum- ers' interest in gimmicks is fleeting. Many of the people in the business of VR have been around long enough to know that, and understand that, in order to give VR its best chance for consumer traction, we are heavily dependent upon content creators and tool builders alike. The good news is that VR content as well as that of its cousin, augmented reality (AR), have a great deal more room for truly creative innovation than stereoscopic 3D provided. And while we are perhaps just now beginning to taper off from a very steep exuberance curve, I remain very bullish on the surviving use cases and com- pelling experiences to entice consumers to open their wal- lets and fuel the next phase. Chief Strategy Officer Brian Nilles leads OptiTrack's continued efforts in designing and building widely accessible, high- performance motion-capture systems. With over 20 years of industry experience, Brian is deeply entrenched in the mocap and tracking industry, and well versed in the technology's commercial applications. " A BRAND-NEW CATEGORY OF ENTERTAINMENT IS LEVERAGING MOCAP'S CORE STRENGTHS: VIRTUAL REALITY."