DIY Head Tracker For A Tenner

The hardware does it already.
Elite Dangerous only exposes Two axes for head tracking using this kind of technology. Yaw and pitch. There are reasons for that, but I really don't want to go down that rabbit hole here. The Blue Peter headtracker thread has covered it in depth.
The USB game controller calibration thingy in windows shows Three working, Roll, Pitch and Yaw.
Other games / software could theoretically use all Six degrees of freedom.
Would probably require some additional code to handle the Three extra axes.
I don't know if it's simply adding a few variables and cleverly reusing the existing code or adding whole new sections of code. We are pretty tight on memory but properly optimised code should handle it no problem.
But that is more Pocketmoon's area of meddlement. :)
 
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Any sign that FD would expose or make available the extra three axes for the project?

Still awaiting the accelerometer boards here (and something > alpha 1.1) in order to build one.
 
That's a real shame... :(

Have they indicated that they definitely won't? Is it something to do with TrackIR being implemented as some kind of exclusive?
 
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I wouldn't expect it, to be honest. It opens up a wealth of challenges and I don't suspect Frontier have the bandwidth to look into stuff like this at the moment, particularly when they have buy-in with TrackIR and OR, and that seems to be their focus.
 
Thanks for the replies. Disappointing though on FD's part: would have thought supporting such a home-grown solution was a no-brainer.

A long-shot, but any possibility that it could integrate with (or use open-source code from) FaceTrackNoIR software, or a 'tracker' module written for it?

Looks like someone else already had a start at writing an inertial head-tracker for it. LINK.
 
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...and hit the drift issues :)

I imagine 6DOF would be much more susceptible to drift than the simple X/Y headtracker we're got here. There must be a good reason Occulus Rift went for the point-model system on the 2nd dev kit, as opposed to relying on the accel/gyro only in the DK1, and having a reset-orientation button.
 
...and hit the drift issues :)

Lol. Maybe You and Pocketmoon should phone them up...
If you have cracked the drift problem in software without point tracking you should phone up Oculus VR...


Yes. The additional point tracking on the DK2 is probably a continuous calibration thing, and the gyro chip is for keeping the response latency below 20ms.
It's not a very elegant fix though, even if it does look cool in the dark.:). It brings back the need for a webcam and I thought we were trying to get away from that.
So if you are facing away from the webcam for ages your drift comes back?
Or are there lights on the back too?
 
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Lol. Maybe You and Pocketmoon should phone them up...
If you have cracked the drift problem in software without point tracking you should phone up Oculus VR...

Ha, no offence to Pocketmoon but I don't think we've "cracked" it so much as got it down to acceptable levels for a £10 headtracker; for £xxxx's worth of Occulus Rift I suspect people expect more :)

My target has always been to play for half an hour without having to reset the calibration, and I've achieved this, so I'm happy.
 
That's fair enough.
Maybe we should stop the Earth spinning and going round the Sun and cancel Gravity, see if that helps?
Easy!
:)
 
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I for one have bought that headtracking kit from hobby craft, I will make my 6p cap and then will try this, it cost £13 including 1st class postage so its still cheap, only hope I get it right and don't damage my computer in the process.
 
I for one have bought that headtracking kit from hobby craft, I will make my 6p cap and then will try this, it cost £13 including 1st class postage so its still cheap, only hope I get it right and don't damage my computer in the process.

I've never seen a computer damaged by a compliant bus powered usb device as the pins are buffered. The power is provided by the computer and we are only tweaking code which can't overdrive the device plugged in to the port. This is the the beauty of Arduino, play away!

Edit, The worst you can do is look like a dumb serial device!

what do I do with those files?

I'm on my phone at the moment but if you run Arduino IDE once it will create a couple of directories in 'my documents'. It should be obvious from there. If done right you can select 'HED Tracker' as the device in Arduino IDE.
 
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I was looking at the 3p cap powered and there were alot of warnings about it has to be fused and well if you get it worng you could damage your motherboard, to be honest with you I have never played with electronic well I can solder but I never bothered to understand it until this week.

So excuse me if I come across a bit of a newbie hehe, I do find this very interesting. I only just figured out how to calculate what resistors I need for a 3p cap that is how basic I am, shame I know more than maplins haha as I asked them if I got my calcs right and he said he didn't know lol

I will try that what you said about the IDE
 
It would frankly be infinitely easier for the devs to just implement the freeTrack and facetrack protocols. Inability to use these things that practically all other tracking-capable games can is a shame. ED is expensive enough, let alone purchasing TrackIR, and this lack of support is keeping me from investing in the game
 
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Deleted Epic post.
:)

It would frankly be infinitely easier for the devs to just implement the freeTrack and facetrack protocols. Inability to use these things that practically all other tracking-capable games can is a shame. ED is expensive enough, let alone purchasing TrackIR, and this lack of support is keeping me from investing in the game

Ok I am sorry.


It has to be done.


http://naturalpointofview.blogspot.co.uk/p/trackir-anticompetition.html

This is why.
I don't want to provoke another argument. But if we go there I will win it.
American law does not apply in Europe.
Deal with it.
We are allowed to think here.
You should come and be welcome as opposed to fitting yourself up with dirty litigation.

Epic post..

epic..

more epicness..

Very epic..

Today I have a sore head.
:)

lol.
 
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