HTC Vive 6x6 meter setup recommendations

[1000 realities]

I'm currently working on a VR business application that will require the user to move freely around a square space of 6x6 meters. We are planning to use the HTC Vive for this setup. This will put the base stations 8.4 meters apart, which is more than the recommended distance. Will the HTC Vive be able to function properly in such an environment? (I have done 5x5 meter setups before and got good results). Do you have any technical recommendations on how to improve tracking performance under such conditions? (e.g. will purchasing the new base station model change anything in this regard?).

[Synthesis]

 

While it's beyond the recommended limits, we've found some users are able to improve performance by using the sync cable on the base stations.

Thanks,

-John C

[1000 realities]

 

Many thanks for the tip, we are already using the sync cable for the 5x5 meter setup. It is truly a must have for going beyond the recommended limits, especially if say, you are setting up a stand on a conference, get there in the morning and need to act quickly :)

 

Also, as a quick update: 

I have tried the 6x6 meter setup lat weekend (sync cable and all), and did not manage to get satisfactory results. While standing close to one of the base stations everything was working fine, however when I got closer to the middle of the space, the image in the HMD started having constant, 1s lags. I checked the performace of the app and it was a constant 90fps, so that was no issue. My guess is that the sweep signal from the base stations was subject to too much noise, and the HMD needed the extra time to actually figure out where exacly it is in the space.

I've also read a reddit thread once, where a person claiming to be a vive developer said (among many other technical and mathematical details) that dimming the lights in the space might help. For the record, I have tried it, managed to dim the light by a good 30-40% by blocking the windows and there was no effect. 

 

Any other ideas?

[MartinMarty]

Sounds like you have a 6m X 6m square area with the base stations mounted in the corners. It has been suggested to me in a recent tracking problem that I take one of the base stations out of the corner and move it down the wall rducing the distance to the other base station. Although that was not the solution I used due to physical contstraints, I did alter the placement of one base statoin to what seems like a worse location by the book, but actually works better.

[1000 realities]

Sounds like a plan, especially since the preson (I mentioned earlier) talking about the maths & engineering of Vive tracking on reddit did mention, that putting both base stations on one "wall" of the rectangular space should improve tacking. Will try it next time.

 

Otherwise I think there is one more thing I might be on to. The setup guide mentions that when syncing with the sync cable, both base station's status diodes should be a constant white. However, my base stations do not do that! Have I been using the sync cable wrong all along? I'm alawys taking the base station on channel "c" and switching it to "A". The one with "b" stays the same. The diodes behave excatly as they do with a "wireless sync" setup. That said, I did notice a significant boost in tracking performance when I used the sync cable on a 5x5m setup for the first time, and have been using it ever since. I wonder if this could have been due to some other issues in the previous setups. Believe me, setting up Vive has it's pitfalls, though it's still the best VR set around IMO :heart: Will investigate further.

 

[MartinMarty]

Based on my understanding from reading Vive support forums since I bought mine, you are doing the setup correctly regarding the base station channels for sync cable: a & b.

 

I had to look at the manual page 19 to see what you were saying about the status LEDs. Wow. Now I see what you are saying but I never recall anybody talking about white status LED and on my base stations I never recall getting a white LED (note: I never use sync cable). The only time I can think of a white LED is on the hand controllers when they are fully charged but still turned off.

 

Another revelation I had was on page 18. They're talking about a maximum distance between base stations of 5m, i.e. the hypotenuse of the triangle. Here we are talking about 5x5 and 6x6 but we could never do that. Recalling my grade school lesson on Pythagorean theorem, we could do 3x4 down the walls but that's it, the max. Or about 3.5x3.5 max. I think I am reading that right. No way 5x5 or 6x6. 6x6 would make the base stations almost 8.5m apart, way out of range. Right?