Using Vive Tracker without headset?

[Ad_MTL]

Hi, I run a research lab in London and one of our topics is developing technology for blind people. We're interested in using a Vive Tracker to track the location of some of our handheld prototype devices as they are being used by participants to complete experiments.

Because some (not all) of our participants are blind, they don't have much need for wearing a headset. We are therefore wondering if it is possible to use a Vive Tracker just with base-stations and no headset (or having the headset just resting on a table nearby). I realise that this could only work for external tracking (I have worked with Vicon systems) but just wanted to check if Vive hardware supports such functionality.

If this is possible I'd some suggestions of which product combos would achieve this. To be clear, we would like to buy a system with a headset so that we can use the headset for other experiments (the lab works on a bunch of things).

Thanks 

[C.T.]

once you have done the roomsetup, you dont really need the headset to receive tracking pose from tracker.

You can use usb or plug in dongle to connect tracker wirelessly.

You can refer to Vive Mars for similar concept.

Cheers 

[Michael Vargas]

Hi @C.T., I'm trying to connect to VIVE Tracker 3.0 without Headset, can you help me how to run roomsetup? 

I follow this tutorial https://vvvv.org/blog/using-htc-vive-trackers-without-headset but I have a issue my tracker is not tracked, the tracker icon is always breathing, please help me

 

https://ibb.co/FzCkxn1

[C.T.]

Try using quick calibration under setting -> developer -> developer settings 

[Ad_MTL]

Great, thanks for confirming @C.T.
Looks like I'll be ordering a cosmos elite and tracker 3.0. 
Thanks again!

[HackPerception]

@Michael Vargas Nowadays, If you use a null driver - you also need to disable SteamVR home, otherwise it will try to boot SteamVR home and it can create a 100% CPU usage loop. That might be what it's "waiting" for. See if that alters the behavior. @C.T.

 

[Michael Vargas]

On 5/16/2022 at 4:16 PM, HackPerception said:

@Michael Vargas Nowadays, If you use a null driver - you also need to disable SteamVR home, otherwise it will try to boot SteamVR home and it can create a 100% CPU usage loop. That might be what it's "waiting" for. See if that alters the behavior. @C.T.

 

I've disable the SteamVR home but it doesn't work, one question, do I need a base station to connect to the device?  Is it a requirement? I only have a tracker 3.0. Thanks!

[C.T.]

47 minutes ago, Michael Vargas said:

I've disable the SteamVR home but it doesn't work, one question, do I need a base station to connect to the device?  Is it a requirement? I only have a tracker 3.0. Thanks!

Yes, You will need at least one base station.

[HackPerception]

@Michael Vargas

The base-stations shoot out laser beams which interact with sensors under the little divots on the trackers. Without the external laser data - the tracker won't create a pose estimate and will just be in "tracking lost" mode.

 Here's a simplified example of how the 1st generation tracking worked so you kind of understand, as well as a more detailed explanation of SteamVR tracking if you're wanting to study up on the system.
 

 

 

[_jthiessen]

I am using a similar setup. USB tracking dongle, Null HMD driver, HTC Vive controller.

Everything is working well except I can't orient the controller to match the direction it is pointing in real life. I've run the room setup, however, in SteamVR and in Unity the controller tends to be 180 degrees backwards...

I'm not sure what is going wrong. I could potentially reorient the controller in Unity, however, that would likely create many issues down the road. Ideally the base calibration of the controller is accurate.