Free-track IR 2 DOF?

[julian265]

Originally Posted by albx

probably because you need to have a light pointing to your face?

You can't see IR

[Blackdog_kt]

It doesn't matter whether you can see IR or not. What matters is that reflectors need something to reflect.

The trackIR camera has a built in emitter, so it's both an emitter and a receiver. Freetrack cameras however mostly function as receivers only, because they lack built-in LEDs.
MSPaint to the rescue:

[julian265]

Yes I'm aware of how it works - but what's stopping you from buying some IR LED's (the same as I use on my headset), positioning them near your camera and pointing at you, and using the same sort of reflective material as TIR does to reflect the light back to the camera?

Most freetrack users make their own system anyway, so is there anything that I'm missing that's stopping them from doing it this way? It's easier to do with regard to avoiding extra wires running to your head.

[Blackdog_kt]

Yup, if you position LEDs near the camera i think there's nothing stopping you from using reflectors.

[swiss]

Originally Posted by Blackdog_kt

Yup, if you position LEDs near the camera i think there's nothing stopping you from using reflectors.

There are (standard)webcams with integrated IR LEDs on the market.

[albx]

Originally Posted by julian265

You can't see IR

i was talking about normal light, not IR... and probably IR direct to your eyes is more dangerous than the normal light

[Blackdog_kt]

Originally Posted by swiss

There are (standard)webcams with integrated IR LEDs on the market.

Didn't know that, you learn something new every day here

Originally Posted by albx

and probably IR direct to your eyes is more dangerous than the normal light

Actually i think it's not. IR, visible light, lasers, radio waves, it's all the same thing. What changes are the frequencies/wavelengths, which is also a measure of the energy each beam carries.

Higher frequencies means shorter wavelengths and higher energies. That's why in the 40s most radios were short-wave radios...the beam had enough energy to travel far, scatter across the top portions of the atmosphere and then come back down on another part of the continent, so that the resistance fighters in occupied europe could listen to BBC for coded messages

In all this, IR ranks below the visible light in the amount of energy it carries. In that sense, looking directly into your TrackIR LEDs is less harmful than looking at the sky and certainly harmless when compared to other higher frequency devices we carry on us or spend time around every day (like for example a 2.4Ghz wireless router).

Not playing smart**s here, i just wouldn't want people to be scared of using head tracking when it makes such a big difference

[swiss]

Originally Posted by Blackdog_kt

Didn't know that, you learn something new every day here

Night Vison webcam rings a bell?

[albx]

Originally Posted by Blackdog_kt

Didn't know that, you learn something new every day here




Actually i think it's not. IR, visible light, lasers, radio waves, it's all the same thing. What changes are the frequencies/wavelengths, which is also a measure of the energy each beam carries.

Higher frequencies means shorter wavelengths and higher energies. That's why in the 40s most radios were short-wave radios...the beam had enough energy to travel far, scatter across the top portions of the atmosphere and then come back down on another part of the continent, so that the resistance fighters in occupied europe could listen to BBC for coded messages

In all this, IR ranks below the visible light in the amount of energy it carries. In that sense, looking directly into your TrackIR LEDs is less harmful than looking at the sky and certainly harmless when compared to other higher frequency devices we carry on us or spend time around every day (like for example a 2.4Ghz wireless router).

Not playing smart**s here, i just wouldn't want people to be scared of using head tracking when it makes such a big difference

it's dangerous for long exposure because you can't see it, it's different with the visible light that the eye will protect itself closing... don't say things that you can't prove for sure.. and you know exactly the IRled's wavelenght you are using? Can you measure it or just read the specs the manufacturer say?

[Korn]

Of course the small quantity of IR radiation a few LEDs will produce has no adverse effects for you eyes or anything else. Just like visible light, it takes a lot to damage your eyes. That's why there can be so many products using IR LEDs (webcams, TrackIR, remote controls)... if they were hazardous to your health would they wouldn't be on the market in the first place.

The reason IR LED cap/clip/whatever are used more than IR reflectors is very simple: they're much more effective. Reflectors will only bounce back a small quantity of the IR light. LEDs provide better tracking and are less susceptible to parasite radiation sources (although an incandescent bulb right behind you will still mess up things big time).


PS: another happy Freetrack user here. You should know that for 2 axis movement (2DOF if you wish) you only need a single LED. But why settle for that when you can have 6DOF with 3 LEDs. In other games, of course .