Oculus says Santa Cruz prototype will be available 'in the next year'
Oculus gave more details about its its next-generation VR headset today at the Oculus Connect 4developer conference. It also said the headset would become available "in the next year."
The catch: The headset is still a prototype, and it will only be made available to developers.
SEE ALSO:Facebook announces $199 Oculus Go standalone VR headsetThe new headset, codenamed Santa Cruz, is the company's first prototype headset with "inside-out tracking" technology, meaning it doesn't require external cameras or other accessories to track your position in the room. What's even more exciting is that the headset will also be able to track two newly designed wireless controllers with six degrees of freedom.
In short, the Santa Cruz headset will be the first high-end VR system from Oculus that doesn't require being tethered to a powerful PC. It also crucially features positional tracking -- tracking the position and head movements of the wearer in addition to tracking the handheld wireless controllers. Basically, it's a standalone VR headset that works all by itself.
The next-level tracking system is enabled by a set of four cameras placed on the outer corners of the new Santa Cruz headset. By placing cameras around the rim, the display can actually track the position of the both the user and the controllers.
The Santa Cruz headset will be paired with new prototype Santa Cruz controllers. The new controllers feature a ring covered in LEDs aimed upward, in order to make them more visible to the tracking cameras on the outside of the headset.
Existing Oculus Touch controllers also have LEDs, but the ring that houses them is facing downward, and they are tracked by an external camera that must be attached to a PC. The newer version should make it much easier to setup and use Oculus VR products. The new controllers also use infrared emitters, rather than LEDs, meaning they won't have a distracting glow.
The new controllers shouldn't be much of a change for older users. They still include a trigger, touchpad, and buttons similar to the existing Oculus Touch controllers. It is important, however, to mention that this is a prototype system, so by the time they're commercially available, they could change significantly.
If Oculus delivers on everything it's promised, the Santa Cruz headset will be a realization of the dream that VR developers have long been chasing. Users have often complained that current systems require a cable being attached the headset — which makes it easy to trip over or get tangled in while you're immersed in a virtual world. Soon, developers will no longer have to worry about stumbling over cables that attach to their headsets or having to mount positional trackers around the room. This is a huge deal.
The Santa Cruz headset first premiered in October 2016 during the Oculus Connect 3 conference. At it's unveiling, Oculus emphasized that the PC that typically powers VR headsets would be replaced with a small minicomputer placed in the rear of the head strap.
So what components are actually included in the Oculus Santa Cruz prototype? Unfortunately, those details are still unclear, and the company has not yet revealed specifics about the processing power and technical specifications of the system.
For now, we have only these short demos to rely on. But if it works as well as the video showed today, it's certainly something worth being excited about.
Featured Video For You
KFC's creepy VR training game is a terrifying way to welcome new employees
(责任编辑:新闻中心)
-
Spaceship tech slashes energy usage of existing AC systems
As we experience temperature extremes more often as a result of climate change, it predictably leads ...[详细] -
7月5日,宝兴县穆坪镇两河口新区泸州援建的“泸州佳苑”城房重建项目,前方为“泸州廊桥”。“一家人不说两家话,都是四川的父老乡亲,我们将尽心尽力为宝兴服好务。”这是2013年7月26日,泸州市委书记蒋辅 ...[详细]
-
雅安日报/北纬网讯11月上旬至中旬,市教育局分学段组织全市中小学校长、副校长及后备干部共计104名教育工作者赴上海开展访学挂职活动,通过为期一周的学习,更新了校长们的教育理念和管理理念,纷纷表示将正视 ...[详细]
-
雅安日报/北纬网讯11月上旬至中旬,市教育局分学段组织全市中小学校长、副校长及后备干部共计104名教育工作者赴上海开展访学挂职活动,通过为期一周的学习,更新了校长们的教育理念和管理理念,纷纷表示将正视 ...[详细]
-
Students get free entry at second Rawalpindi Test but what’s the catch?
ListentoarticleThe Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced free entry for students to the second ...[详细] -
在我们身边有这样一群孩子——因为听觉障碍,始终徘徊在有声世界之外,但他们同样有着美丽的梦,同样想和其他小伙伴一样快乐成长。幸运的是通过植入人工耳蜗和佩戴助听器,让这些孩子又回到了有声世界。但是真正恢复 ...[详细]
-
7 月23 日,在芦山县龙门乡义诊活动结束后,雅安市第四人民医院医护人员与川北医学院医学硕士生合影。雅安市第四人民医院新大楼。7月22日至28日,雅安市第四人民医院(雅安市精神病医院、雅安市精神卫生中 ...[详细]
-
...[详细]
-
Ruling bloc seeks tougher sentences for deepfake sex crimes
People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon speaks during an emergency meeting of government officials an ...[详细] -
蛇莓,别名蛇泡草,蔷薇科 ,多年生草本植物,多野生于山坡、草地、路旁、沟边或田埂杂草中。市民王老太经常腰痛,她从别人口中得知了一个偏方——蛇莓煮汤可治腰痛。王老太便到乡下采摘蛇莓熬汤喝。不料,仅喝了2 ...[详细]