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A Primer on 3D Scanning & Photogrammetry

We often use 3D scanned objects and environments in the VR applications we develop, so I thought I’d write a primer on how to get started with Photogrammetry. What is Photogrammetry Photogrammetry is the science of making a 3D model from photographs. The input to photogrammetry is photographs, and the output is typically a 3D …

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How I 3D scanned the Treasury at Petra without leaving home

After reading a random article about the Petra Treasury, I felt a strong urge to 3D scan it (it’s both my hobby and profession). I decided to do an experiment. How to 3D scan an ancient structure on the other side of the world without leaving home: Step 1: Run google image search for “Petra …

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The VR Fragmentation Nightmare

VR has entered the fragmentation era. It’s going to be a doozy. Lets see what we have as for Jan 2019. Degrees of freedom or DOF DOF means Degrees Of Freedom, the number of different “directions” that an object can move in 3D space. I explain DOF in detail here. Right now we have headsets …

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An overview of roomscale tracking technologies – Oct 2018

Some will argue (and I am one them), that the best feature of VR is roomscale. The freedom to move around and explore your virtual surrounding contributes to the sense of presence and agency, which really sets VR apart from any other media. This is often referred to as 6 degrees of freedom (or 6DOF). …

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I made an intuitive MRI slicer using the Vive tracker

Using Unity and USB external display, a 3D printed adapter and the HTC Vive tracker. More info coming soon.

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Thoughts about the VR gaming market, sales and profits

As of the writing of this blog post (May 2018), Beat Saber is the darling of the VR gaming market. Universally praised, highly reviewed and fiendishly fun, it’s truly a gem. Three weeks after release, Hyperbolic Magnetism reported to have sold 100k copies. Lets dive into that number, shall we? Beat Saber sold 100k copies at $20, …

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Should I use wrist weights to increase my VR workout? (NO)

With the release of the hit VR rhythm game, Beat Saber, I’ve seen lots of talk about adding wrist and ankle weights to increase the workout, or to “take it to the next level”. Wrist and ankle weights for VR is a really bad idea. It’s will provide marginal benefits while greatly increasing your chances of …

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VR Treadmill Overview – March 2018

– Last updated on April 24, 2018 VR treadmills have been trending recently, so I decided to do some research and also share my own experience. There is a lot of noise but very few actual products. Here is what I found: Slidemills systems This is the cheapest and most common design for a VR treadmill, …

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Your AR App Sucks – OR – The Current Sad State of Augmented Reality

Right now, as for early 2018, Augmented Reality sucks. It’s not fun, it’s not useful or engaging, doesn’t solve any problems or provide any value. Allow me to explain. Lets start at the beginning. History Augmented Reality has been around for a very long time. Back in 2005 I was hired as the R&D manager …

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3DOF, 6DOF, RoomScale VR, 360 Video and Everything In Between

3DOF vs 6DOF DOF means Degrees Of Freedom, the number of different “directions” that an object can move in 3D space. 3DOF VR headsets can track your head orientation, i.e., it knows where you are looking. The 3 axis are roll, yaw and pitch. 6DOF headsets will track orientation and position, the headsets knows where …

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