Taking Virtual Reality to the Next Level

The VR Developer Mount combined with the Oculus Rift is an exciting step forward in the future of interactive design. The team here at BLi is inspired by the integration of these two technologies, allowing users to see their interactions within the virtual world.

So far we have used the Oculus as a pre-visualization tool, a way to immerse ourselves and clients in a virtual environment to showcase our installations. This has been a typical use-case for the headset, but recently Leap announced a new product that allows the Leap device to be attached directly to the Oculus headset.

Essentially this will further remove boundaries between the user and the virtual experience, allowing someone to look around a space, reach out and flip virtual light-switches and tangibly interact within a virtual environment. The future of virtual reality is coming and we seek to play an active role in steering its course.

Some of the exciting features of the headset/hand-controller combo are:

• Near Zero Latency: virtual reality should feel smooth and seamless as the real world. With Leap Motion control, it feels instantaneous.

• Bare Hands: the most powerful motion tracking in the world doesn’t need wearable sensors or bulky gloves. All you need is your hands.

• Next Generation Tracking: Pinpoint accuracy and massively improved robustness are just the beginning.

• Quick Setup: In just a few seconds, your Leap Motion Controller and DK1/DK2 will be working together, with no impact on DK positional tracking.

• Massive Field of View: With wide-angled lenses that extend beyond the Oculus Rift's stereo displays, the Leap Motion Controller can see your hands before you do.

• See the real world too: Augment your reality with infrared night-vision capabilities. Switch between the real and virtual worlds without skipping a beat – or blend them together.

There have been many significant innovations over the past few years in the arena of interactive devices. As an experiential design agency, it’s important to be well-versed in the newest data input methods and system architectures to enable us to drive sensational multimedia experiences. The Oculus rift VR headset and the leap motion controller have been milestone products and with their integration interactive media can be pushed further.

Written by Ryan Lotz