The feature-rich VR wrist tracker designed for the Focus 3 headset will become available for purchase for $129.99 in early 2022.
This year’s CES unveiled several exciting new gadgets that we all have been waiting for. Joining the race, HTC also unveiled the much-anticipated VIVE Wrist Tracker. It is a lightweight tracking device that will dedicatedly support the company’s latest standalone VR headset Focus 3. Just as the name suggests, this is to be worn on the wrist of the user. The company claims that the device is capable of delivering pinpoint accuracy in tracking your movements from your fingertips up to your elbow. Also, it can be mounted on various props to turn any object into an interactive VR peripheral.
The stunning Wrist Tracker features multiple LEDs. The onboard cameras on VIVE Focus 3 track them and as a result, yield 6Dof standalone tracking without even requiring any external sensors. The Wrist tracker is loaded with cool features beyond your imagination, to an extent where it can even predict your pose when it is out of range of the VR headset. This phenomenal performance is achieved by using the high-frequency IMU data combined with an advanced kinematic model. Despite its complex technology, the Wrist Tracker is quite easy to operate. The design is made simple with a one-button pairing system that allows smooth wireless connectivity with the VR headset.
Compared to the VIVE Focus 3 controller, the Wrist Tracker is roughly 53% lighter and 85% smaller. This makes the device unbelievably easy to operate. Besides, it offers up to four hours of continuous use if fully charged once. You can easily charge the device using any standard USB-C cable.
As mentioned earlier, the Wrist Tracker can also be used as an object tracker. In their official statement released during the press conference, HTC demonstrated how the device can bring everyday objects. Such as a toy gun, a ping pong ball, or even a wrench to life within the virtual world. James Mullins, Founder and CTO of FLAIM Systems stated that integrating the VIVE Wrist Tracker with VIVE Focus 3 has been proved to be a game-changer. It enabled immersive tactile and kinesthetic experiences in a completely natural way. The Wrist Tracker also enables a deeper learning element, which implies that you retain more and finally, have a better outcome without the exposure to hazards or the risk of harm.
Mullins also reported that it is already common knowledge that kinesthetic learning can effectively improve attention and focus on learning the given task. With regard to the task, VIVE Wrist Tracker makes VR training and education more immersive and natural for organisations that want to improve training frequency and throughput every session.
In addition to VIVE Wrist Tracker, HTC also reported that the company is partnering with Lumen Technologies to introduce portable 5G experiences to Focus 3.
VIVE Wrist Tracker will be soon available for purchase within January 2022 for just $129.99.
