The complete-body monitoring digital actuality challenge SlimeVR is again with redesigned monitoring {hardware}, promising a extra comfy and long-lasting design: the SlimeVR Butterfly Tracker.
“Primarily based on the success and expertise of SlimeVR Full-Physique Trackers, SlimeVR Butterfly Trackers develop the bounds of consolation and ease of use of physique trackers for digital actuality, movement seize, streaming, and extra,” says SlimeVR’s Eiren Rain. “Like the unique model, these new SlimeVR Butterfly Trackers are open {hardware} sensors with open-source software program that may monitor the motion of your physique. They require no base station, can’t be occluded, final for days on a single cost, and are utterly wi-fi. Now, with the brand-new, distinctive, ultra-light break up design impressed by butterflies, they’re lower than 7 mm thick and weigh lower than 12 grams, making them probably the most comfy resolution for full-body monitoring available on the market at present.”
SlimeVR is again, and this time it is introduced a Butterfly — its new split-design body-tracking sensors for VR and extra. (📷: SlimeVR)
This is not SlimeVR’s first shot at a body-tracking machine: again in 2021 the corporate opened a crowdfunding marketing campaign for its authentic sensors, constructed round an Espressif ESP12-F ESP8266 module and delivering a 100Hz refresh charge over a claimed 15-hour battery life. A later replace, the Smol Slime, moved to the Nordic nRF52840 to spice up efficiency and improve battery life nonetheless additional — and it is this latter redesign that serves as the idea for the brand new SlimeVR Butterfly.
The largest change from the Smol Slime: a shift to a brand new two-part break up design, with the 2 halves linked through a versatile hinge. This, its creators declare, reduces total thickness to simply 7mm (round 0.28″) for improved consolation whereas permitting it to observe the physique’s contours — necessary, given you are to put on six of the issues for full full-body monitoring.
Information from the on-board inertial measurement unit (IMU) are transmitted to the SlimeVR Server software program utilizing Enhanced Shockburst, with a customized antenna design present a claimed 10m (round 33 ft) vary. The interior 100mAh battery, in the meantime, is claimed to be good for a full 24 hours of playtime. The refresh charge is projected to be between 100Hz and 140Hz, but to be finalized, and every tracker weighs lower than 12g (round 0.4oz).
Whereas the design has but to be totally finalized, it is positive to be probably the most comfy SlimeVR but. (📷: SlimeVR)
“SlimeVR is open {hardware} pushed by open supply software program and is launched beneath permissive MIT & Apache 2.0 licenses,” Rain provides. “This open design empowers the VR group to develop on the SlimeVR ecosystem, create new gadgets, add compatibility with new software program, and enhance upon all facets of the challenge. For our half, we’re centered on serving to that group develop SlimeVR infrastructure by including assist for varied gadgets, protocols, and options. We’re a part of an energetic DIY group, members of which construct their very own SlimeVR trackers, assist others get into DIY electronics, contribute to our documentation, and develop {hardware} with totally different options and at totally different value factors.”
events can signal as much as be notified when the crowdfunding marketing campaign goes stay on the challenge’s Crowd Provide web page; design information and supply code can be found on the challenge’s GitHub repository beneath the aforementioned open licenses.
