CSC573

• Three I’s
Interactivity

Imagination

Virtual Reality is a way for humans to

visualize, manipulate and interact with
computers and extremely complex data
I
through multiple sensorial channels”.
Immersive

In order to allow human-computer interaction it is necessary

to use special interfaces designed to input a user’s commands
into the computer and to provide feedback from the
simulation to the user.

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• Three I’s
Navigation

Gesture Input Trackers

Multi sensorial channels

Interactivity
Body motion, sensing suits, hand
gestures, visual feedbacks etc

Today’s VR interfaces are varied in functionality and

purpose, as they address several human sensorial channels.

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• Today
• Describes the VR interface
– Input Devices:
• Trackers,
• Navigation, &
• Gesture Interfaces
– Functionality
– Design & limitation,
– Comparing
– Alternative hardware available.

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• 3-D Position Trackers
Real-time

Special purpose Measure change

Hardware
Trackers
3D object

Position
Orientation
The special-purpose hardware used in VR
to measure the real time change in a 3D
object position and orientation

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• 3-D Position Trackers

roll
Virtual objects have 6 degrees
of freedom (D.O.Fs):
-three translations;
-three rotations.
pitch
yaw
3-D System of coordinates of a VR object

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• 3-D Position Trackers
Trackers measure
Trackers measure the
motion of “objects” such as User’s head

user’s wrist or his head vs. User’s wrist

a fixed system of
coordinates. Motion of Objects

Tracker Technologies:
• Magnetic trackers (widely used);
Fixed system of
• Ultrasonic trackers (less used);
coordinates
• Mechanical trackers (special cases);
• Inertial/ultrasonic trackers (new).
• Vision-based trackers (new)

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• 3-D Position Trackers

3-D Magnetic sensor in a HMD

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CSC573 Input Devices
• 3-D Position Trackers
Sensor Noise
&Jitter; Sensor Drift ;
Sensing Latency;

Measurement
Measurement Rate – Accuracy (errors);
Readings/sec; Tracker
Characteristics Measurement
Sensing Repeatability;
Degradation
Work Tethered or
Envelope; Wireless;

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• 3-D Position Trackers
• Measurement Accuracy (errors);

Accuracy

Resolution

Real object Tracker position

position measurements

• Tracker accuracy represents the difference between the

object’s actual 3D position & that reported by that tracker
measurements.

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• 3-D Position Trackers
• Sensor Noise and Jitter;
Tracker data
Real object fixed Tracker position data
position
Jitter or
sensor noise

Time

• Tracker jitter represents the change in tracker output when

the tracked object is stationary.
• Need to be minimized.

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• 3-D Position Trackers
• Sensor Drift;
Tracker drift

Actual object
position Drift

Time

• Tracker drift is the steady increase in tracker error with

time.
• Need to be minimized.

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• 3-D Position Trackers
• Sensor Latency;
Tracker data

Real object
position

Sensor latency

Time
• Latency is the time delay between action and result. It is
the time between the change in object position/orientation
and the time the sensor detects this change.
• Communication time delay between host & time needed for the
computer to render and display the scene
Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari
CSC573 Input Devices
• 3-D Position Trackers
• Update rate;

• The tracker update rate represents the number of

measurements (datasets) that the tracker repots every
second..
• The larger the update rate, the better is the dynamic response of the
simulation.
Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari
CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
Special cases
Magnetic widely used

Mechanical
Ultrasonic
Type of trackers
less used

Optical
Hybrid Inertial
new
new

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Mechanical tracker

Definition: A mechanical tracker consists of a serial or

parallel kinematic structure composed of links interconnected
by sensorized joints.

Kinematics
Link computational Position &
determine
segment model in orientation
computer

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Mechanical tracker

Pros: Cons:
• Use sensors imbedded in • But limit the user’s freedom
exoskeletons to measure of motion;
position; • Can be heavy is worn on the
• Have extremely low body
latencies;
• Are immune to interference
from magnetic fields and
large metal objects;

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Mechanical tracker

Mechanical tracker:Push 1280

(Fakespace Inc)
Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari
CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Mechanical tracker

Exoskeleton Interface
structure With
computer

Gypsy 2 motion capture suit.

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari
CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Magnetic trackers
magnetic field

TRANSMITTER
Non-contact
position
measurement RECEIVER
Magnetic
trackers
moving

Definition: A magnetic tracker is a non-contact position

measurement device that uses a magnetic field produced
by a stationary TRANSMITTER to determine the real-time
position of a moving RECEIVER element

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Magnetic trackers

• Use low-frequency magnetic fields to measure

position;
• Fields are produced by a fixed source;
• Size of source grows with the tracker work
envelope;
• The receiver is attached to the tracked object and
has three perpendicular antennas;
• Distance is inferred from the voltages induced in
the antennas – needs calibration…

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Magnetic trackers

3D magnetic trackers used by the VPL DataGlove

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Magnetic trackers
Metal in lab double
ceiling

Polhemus Long Ranger tracking errors (Rutgers)

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari
CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Magnetic trackers

Sensors: 20/suit

100 updates/sec
3 meters range
from base unit Electronic unit
Resolution<2 mm (2 hours battery life)
and <.2 degrees 1.7 kg (3.8 lb)

Wireless suit (Ascension Technology)

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari
CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Magnetic trackers Calibration

• Use mechanical measurements to reduce errors;

• Sensor noise – variation in measurement with no
real object motion – solved by over-sampling;
• Size of errors grow from source outwards;
• Errors both in position and orientation.

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Magnetic trackers/Comparison
AC Tracker DC Tracker
• AC trackers have better
resolution and accuracy.
• AC trackers have slightly
shorter range
• Both DC and AC trackers are affected by the presence of
Ferromagnetic metals (mild steel and ferrite).
• Both are affected by copper;
• DC trackers are immune to
non-ferromagnetic metals
(brass, aluminum and
stainless steel)

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Ultrasonic trackers
ultrasonic

TRANSMITTER
Contact
position RECEIVER
measurement
Ultrasonic
trackers moving

Definition: A non-contact position measurement

device that uses an ultrasonic signal produced by a
stationary transmitter to determine the real-time
position/orientation of a moving receiver.

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Ultrasonic trackers

Ultrasonic tracker (Logitech)

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CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Ultrasonic trackers
• Use low-frequency ultrasound to measure position;
• Sound produced by a fixed triangular source (speakers);
• Number of sources grows with the tracker work envelope;
• The receiver is triangular and attached to the tracked
object and has three microphones;
• Distance is inferred from the sound time of flight;
• Sensitive to air temperature and other noise sources;
• Requires “direct line of sight”;
• Slower than magnetic trackers (max 50 updates/sec).

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Ultrasonic trackers

Large-volume
ultrasonic tracker
(Logitech)

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Optical trackers
Optical
sensing
TRANSMITTER
Non-contact
position RECEIVER
measurement
Ultrasonic
trackers moving

Definition: A non-contact position measurement

device that uses optical sensing to determine the
real-time position/orientation of an object

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Optical trackers

Optical trackers arrangement : a) outside-looking-in; b)

inside-looking-out

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CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Optical trackers

Outside-looking-in : LaserBIRD optical tracker

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CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Optical trackers/Advantages
• The best accuracy is close
to the work envelope.
• Very large tracking surface
and resistance to visual
occlusions (line of sight).

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Optical trackers/Examples

Lateral effect
photo diodes

HiBall 3000 tracker on an HMD

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Optical trackers/Examples

HiBall Optical Sensor HiBall Optical Sensor interior

6 photodiodes

6 optical lenses

Signal conditioning
electronics

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Optical trackers/Applications

Beacon array modules (6 strips with 8

LED/strip)

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Hybrid Ultrasonic/Inertia trackers

measure

Inertial Rate change

Self-contained trackers
sensors
Object Object
orientation translation

Definition: Inertial trackers are self-contained sensors that

measure the rate of change in an object orientation. They must
also measure the rate of change of an object translation.

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Hybrid Ultrasonic/Inertia trackers

utilizes
2 or more
position
System Hybrid measurement
trackers technologies

Objects

Definition: A hybrid tracker is a system that utilizes two or

more position measurement technologies to track objects better
than any single technology would allow.

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Hybrid Ultrasonic/Inertia trackers
• No interference from metallic objects;
• No interference from magnetic fields;
• Large-volume tracking;
• “Source-less” orientation tracking;
• Full-room tracking;
• A newer technology.

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Hybrid Ultrasonic/Inertia trackers Ultrasonic
emitter

I-Cube
Accel./gyro

InterSense Stereo Glasses tracker (courtesy of Intersense Co.)

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari

CSC573 Input Devices
• Type of trackers.
• Hybrid Ultrasonic/Inertia trackers
Ultrasonic
emitter
Accelerometer

InterSense Stereo stylus tracker (courtesy of

Intersense Co.)

Nazrul Azha Mohamed Shaari