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Motion Cancellation with the Vive and Vive Tracker - a Tracker Mount

Discussion in 'VR Headsets and Sim Gaming - Virtual Reality' started by Zed, May 29, 2017.

  1. Zed

    Zed VR Simming w/Reverb Gold Contributor

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    Just putting this out there if anyone is interested. It's a mount for the Vive Tracker to affix it to a seat back or whatever.

    There are two .stl versions in the zip file - one for countersunk screws and the other with pockets for pan head screws (v.2). The way the tracker screws on, you want the screw heads to be flush or else they will mess up the foam grip.

    I didn't provide a locator pin since the tracker has to screw on instead of a screw being able to turn in from the back. The Tracker blocks access to the screws. There might be a more elegant way but this works and the gasket on the back of the Tracker provides friction to keep it from turning.

    To mount, screw the Tracker onto the mount and see where it ends up. Mark the top, take the tracker back off, and mount the plate to your chair with the mark in proper orientation. Screw the Tracker back on and you're done.

    A variation with a metal stud: https://www.xsimulator.net/communit...ve-tracker-a-tracker-mount.10346/#post-191438

    image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg

    Attached Files:

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    Last edited: Jan 31, 2020
  2. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    Last edited: May 30, 2017
  3. Zed

    Zed VR Simming w/Reverb Gold Contributor

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    Thanks for maintaining that, Noorbeast!
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  4. Spit40

    Spit40 VR Flyer

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    The Vive tracker is an elegant solution for VR motion cancellation. If I'm running Rift in SteamVR, will steam track this puck at the same time as my Oculus Touches?
  5. Zed

    Zed VR Simming w/Reverb Gold Contributor

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    I'm not sure but doubt it. The Vive trackers need Lighthouses to be tracked and to set up the Vive tracked area you need wands too. You might also need the HMD. But maybe a subset is possible. Don't know.
  6. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    No it will not work, the Vive Puck uses Lighthouse for position, whereas Oculus uses optical cameras and infrared LEDs.
  7. Zed

    Zed VR Simming w/Reverb Gold Contributor

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    It's wiring weekend and getting closer to motion. As I clear up all the loose ends, and related to the Tracker, I ran a micro-USB cable to it and routed the cable inside the seat. What I did was contact cement a 3D-printed, rounded-edge ring to the seat fabric where I wanted the cable to come out, cut the fabric out with a new Xacto blade for the cleanest cut, and then ran a hot soldering iron tip around the inside of the ring to seal up the fibers and melt the ring a little to the fabric. Ran the cable and here's the result. :thumbs

    image.jpeg
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  8. Trip Rodriguez

    Trip Rodriguez VR Pilot

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    Hey guys, I have a 6dof motion SIM and I'm thinking about switching from rift to Vive for improved motion tracking. Am I understanding correctly that this solution for cancelling motion SIM movement out is currently already working? Mostly I fly DCS World and I'm tired of motion tracking anomalies with rift. Thanks.
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  9. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    The motion cancellation works via SteamVR, but you can use the Rift and where needed Revive, go ahead an try it with your Rift, plenty of members here are already doing that, including @SilentChill with his 6DOF.
  10. Trip Rodriguez

    Trip Rodriguez VR Pilot

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    Thanks Noorbeast. I found the other thread and just finished reading all eight pages! This is good news I won't have to switch to Vive because apparently I can't buy a Vive for close to what I can sell my Rift for. =(

    I'm going to be trying to get this working over the next few days, probably a bumpy ride because I'm terrible at anything that doesn't involve clicking an .exe and then using a simple GUI!
  11. SixDegreesOfFlight

    SixDegreesOfFlight Well-Known Member

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    @Trip Rodriguez : I will be interested in how this turns out. I am only at the beginning of my 6DOF project and am trying to get all the angles
  12. Zed

    Zed VR Simming w/Reverb Gold Contributor

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    Hey @Trip Rodriguez, just saw your posts since hadn't checked this thread for a while. Your motion rig videos are some I point people to when they ask about this stuff. Nice work!

    I haven't tried motion cancellation yet for myself but will soon and word is it works great on Vive. It was working on the Rift with a Touch controller secured to the rig but a software update from Oculus apparently broke that. Not sure if it is fixed back again. But HTC just dropped the Vive price by $200 so it's back in the ballpark with Rift if you still are considering a Vive. Since you've got a Rift a software fix would obviously be best but at least it's not as big a barrier if you decide to go Vive.

    I also got word that Valve is adding native motion cancellation to the Lighthouse tracking - big news! No date yet or even how far along they are so I wouldn't make decisions based on that yet. I've almost got my rig ready and am hoping to be able to beta test should they ask. Been trying to get them to do this for a while but we're a niche group. But they have said it's coming. Wish I had more info but that's it for now.

    Cheers!
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  13. wazooda

    wazooda New Member

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    Hey @Zed ,

    I recently ran across this thread and am wondering what type of "contact cement" you used to affix the mount to your chair fabric. I run a CKAS 6DOF platform fitted with a Volair Sim chair and recently purchased an Index (upgraded from an Odyssey) in anticipation of Half Life:Alyx, and have been experimenting with motion comp using a knuckles controller zip-tied to my sim chair. It worked so well (honestly, I am stunned how simple it is to get this solution to work) that I ordered a Vive Tracker for a permanent solution.

    I don't have a 3D printer, so I'll have to outsource the job, but your design seems great. If you are using contact cement, I assume it doesn't matter which version I print as I am not screwing the mount into my chair.

    Any mounting tips greatly appreciated as I'm far from a handy guy. :)

    Thanks!
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  14. Zed

    Zed VR Simming w/Reverb Gold Contributor

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    Hey @wazooda - kind of surprised anyone even found this. ;-)

    I still have the bottle - DAP Weldwood Contact Cement. Amber bottle, black cap, mostly red label. Product code 70798 00105.

    For the ring I would bet any plastic ring the proper size would work. You can gently sand the profile to where it's a half-circle so you get good bonding area. And a soldering iron or similar would melt most plastics just fine. It has worked perfectly to keep any threads from coming loose and dresses the hole nicely.

    But I used contact cement only on the ring where the USB cable exits the seat fabric. The Tracker mount itself screws onto the back of the chair or any convenient place. It needs to be rigidly mounted to the chair to track properly. It's also just a 1/4-20 stud. You can do this many ways without a 3D printer.

    Lots of communities have continuing education classes at community colleges and such where you can print things. Some libraries also have printers available.

    If you can specify, it's small enough I would have them print it solid just to get maximum strength in the stud if you stay with 3D printing this. What would have been better is to allow a short 1/4-20 bolt to come in from the back side that would be trapped between the plate and the chair back. That way the stud would be metal instead of breakable plastic.

    I'll mod it real quick and put that up too...
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  15. Zed

    Zed VR Simming w/Reverb Gold Contributor

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    @wazooda - this may be a better mount but it comes with the caveat I've not printed or tested it to fit with 1/4-20 bolts. I used a drawing for reference and added in some slop. The socket for the hex head is 7mm deep and 13.5mm from flat to flat. There is 5mm of depth used in the 7.5mm dia. cylindrical part to make it work with 1/4-20 x 0.5 long bolts. That may be a mm too thin so you may need to use a thin plastic or rubber washer or similar, or just file down your bolt a little.. I provide the dimensions I used in the drawing so you can verify bolts will fit before you print if you decide to go with a metal bolt.

    The thing is I've broken the stud on mine and had to print a replacement but it was easy for me. I was going to do this mod next time mine broke so I wouldn't have to print it again but it is untested now so it may just complicate your decision.

    Cheers!

    TrackerMount2.jpg

    Attached Files:

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    Last edited: Jan 31, 2020