Cheap PS3 Track IR next year?

[MACADEMIC]

Originally Posted by Houndstone Hawk

This is very exciting news indeed. I've been using the Track IR for a few years now & I'd be lost without it (which is why I've found BoP so frustrating). If console players can soon enjoy this head tracking tecnology from a simple gadget as the playstation eye then ... WOW; you're in for a treat! The more ppl that enjoy this freedom of ingame viewing; the better!

Houndstone Hawk, are you able to check your six with the Track IR? How much do you have to move your head to do this in a cockpit that allows you rear vision, such as the LA-5FN?

Thanks!

MACADEMIC

[Houndstone Hawk]

Originally Posted by MACADEMIC

Houndstone Hawk, are you able to check your six with the Track IR? How much do you have to move your head to do this in a cockpit that allows you rear vision, such as the LA-5FN?

Thanks!

MACADEMIC

Hi MACADEMIC. Yes you certainly can. The great thing about Track IR is that it works off 6 axis of movement so for example if you look back in a Spitfire or P-51 Cockpit & are confronted by a restrictive view from the head rest etc, you can move your head left or right & the 3D movement will able you to look around the obstruction as in real life. It's also great for instrument reading. Simply move your head forward to become closer to the console & recline back in your seat to increase the FOV (field of view) once again.
I will aim my next Wings of Prey video at yourself & will dedicate it to the workings of Track IR, using the LA-5FN. Hope it'll help! I'll post it on my 'What Birds of Prey Should've Been' thread.

[InfiniteStates]

I don't understand how you can move your head that far... Surely you still need to be able to see the screen? Maybe I just have the wrong pre-conception about the whole thing...

[winny]

Originally Posted by InfiniteStates

I don't understand how you can move your head that far... Surely you still need to be able to see the screen? Maybe I just have the wrong pre-conception about the whole thing...

I was thinking the same thing... The only way that it would be truly usefull is if it was packaged with a VR type headset with built in screens. Or am I also missing something?

[Houndstone Hawk]

Quotes:
MACADEMIC
Houndstone Hawk, are you able to check your six with the Track IR? How much do you have to move your head to do this in a cockpit that allows you rear vision, such as the LA-5FN?

InfinateStates
I don't understand how you can move your head that far... Surely you still need to be able to see the screen? Maybe I just have the wrong pre-conception about the whole thing..

winny
I was thinking the same thing... The only way that it would be truly usefull is if it was packaged with a VR type headset with built in screens. Or am I also missing something?


Hope this can answer some of your questions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA0tgNehIZw

[winny]

Hmm. I can see how it would be useful for looking around the framework of the cockpit. However turning your head left and having to look right (at the screen) seems totally counterintuitive. The whole point of turning your head to the right is so you can look right.. With this you end up looking left.
Does anyone use this in conjunction with a VR type headset? As I said before it's pointless without one.

[Houndstone Hawk]

Originally Posted by winny

Hmm. I can see how it would be useful for looking around the framework of the cockpit. However turning your head left and having to look right (at the screen) seems totally counterintuitive. The whole point of turning your head to the right is so you can look right.. With this you end up looking left.
Does anyone use this in conjunction with a VR type headset? As I said before it's pointless without one.

I'm afraid I can't understand your logic atall on this one winny. When you look left, right, up, down, where ever, your eyes are always planted firmly to the screen & so you're never really moving your head to the left & looking right at all. It's an absolutely natural experience & a great way to overcome the limitations of playing a game on a 2-D screen.
Whatever your head does is mirrored perfectly in the game & the movement in real time is so slight, you are always in constant eye contact with the screen & always with the utmost of comfort.
Regards to your last sentence; you've confused the hell out of me to be brutally honest. When you say VR type headset, do you mean the sensors that have to be worn with the Track IR system? If so then yes. As I explained in the video, Track IR consists of a USB Infrared camera that is placed around eye height, on top the monitor or screen. The user then wears some form of sensor on the head, be it a clip that attaches to the front of a baseball cap, or a more hi-tech gadget that can clip onto a headset or a simple headband (which I use).
I was hoping that my video showing the simple wireframe models would've answered your questions. Oh well. Good try I guess, lol.

[winny]

My logic is sound. My explaination may be a little confused...

What I'm saying is that if you turn your head right to "look" right in game, your eyes will then be looking to your left to be able to see the screen. So in practice whichever way you turn your head your eyes have to go in the opposite direction to remain focused on the screen. Which is counterintuitive. When I say VR headset I mean one with inbuilt screens. I totally get how it works and how it could be usefull but you are basically controlling a hatswitch with your head. For it to function in a realistic way, ie. looking over your shoulder to "look" behind you, it would require the screen to be attached to your head...

In fact I'm surprised that no-one has come out with a system that does this..

If I was designing one it would be made to look like a modern fighter pilots helmet with the screen built into the visor and all the track-IR stuff on it. A video lead and some headphones built in.. Probably be too expensive to do but would be good to try out.

[Houndstone Hawk]

Originally Posted by winny

My logic is sound. My explaination may be a little confused...

What I'm saying is that if you turn your head right to "look" right in game, your eyes will then be looking to your left to be able to see the screen. So in practice whichever way you turn your head your eyes have to go in the opposite direction to remain focused on the screen. Which is counterintuitive. When I say VR headset I mean one with inbuilt screens. I totally get how it works and how it could be usefull but you are basically controlling a hatswitch with your head. For it to function in a realistic way, ie. looking over your shoulder to "look" behind you, it would require the screen to be attached to your head...

In fact I'm surprised that no-one has come out with a system that does this..

If I was designing one it would be made to look like a modern fighter pilots helmet with the screen built into the visor and all the track-IR stuff on it. A video lead and some headphones built in.. Probably be too expensive to do but would be good to try out.

? I think you've just dreamed up a video game perepheral in the region of thousands of pounds, lol. I'm still completely baffled to your theory. You are only going through a slight motion in turning your head to the left, right, up or down. The movement is so slight. Not once have I, or any other user that I know of, have used the Track IR & thought "Hmm that's a totally counterintuitive experience there. A glorified hatswitch for the head is what it's not. Show me a hatswitch that is capable of movement around all 6 axis of 3-D movement. You can even crane your head in such a way that you can look fully around the cockpit flight controls (not that you would really want to). To the wearer, it's the most natural experience when placed infront of a 2-dimensional screen & it beats the hell out of the laborious 'padlock' switch. The user can implement natural skills of keeping tabs on his enemy.

There's alot of talk of bringing head tracking to PS3 & 360. Those 2 machines are fantastic consoles & are fully capable of keeping up with most PC's of today. It's time barriers were broken & console gamers got to experience head tracking in games. I'd be lost without it where my aircraft & motorsport sims are concerned.

[winny]

I'm not saying that headtracking is a bad thing. It is just a way for you to move the camera with your head though. That's all.

I would like to try it because it looks pretty good, but to argue that it isn't counterintuitive is pointless because however you dress it up, in real life, if I want to look left I don't turn my head to the left and continue to look straightforwards with my eyes. Which is what you have to do with current headtracking.

I was just suggesting that in order for it to be true headtracking you would need to be wearing the screen on your head like a Virtual Reality headset.

I've just seen a VR headset that works with PS3 for £200..(it's a bit crappy) Give it a couple of years and I bet you see someone release something that incorporates IR tracking and VR headsets. Now that I would definately buy.