Valve is opening vive hardware to devs

[Da Space Core]

[url]http://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2016/8/4/12374508/valve-htc-vive-steamvr-tracking-license-custom-hardware-program[/url]

[QUOTE]
A new Valve program will let companies use the HTC Vive virtual reality tracking system for their own hardware. Under the SteamVR Tracking license, product designers can buy sensors like those on the Vive headset and controllers, attach them to their own products, and then track them with the Vive’s base stations. This means that developers could make their own custom motion controllers for the Vive — or, in the long run, that Valve could establish a motion tracking standard for all kinds of objects.

Valve isn’t attaching any licensing fees to its system; an FAQ says "the largest value for our customers and for Valve will come from allowing SteamVR Tracking to proliferate as widely as possible." A third-party company called Triad Semiconductor sells the sensors directly, although Valve is offering a development kit with 40 sensors, circuit boards, and two official Vive base stations. While Valve suggests people could one day build their own versions of these, too, for now the base stations are required for tracking [/QUOTE]

Cool

[Hamaflavian]

Take notes, Facebook.

[GoogleyGareth]

[QUOTE=Hamaflavian;50829757]Take notes, Facebook.[/QUOTE]

"What's that? You want exclusives for the Oculus?"

[Miya]

im glad HTC/Valve is trying to establish a better open standard before anyone else can ruin it with a closed alternative.

[Orkel]

Mandatory $3000 training course before you're able to participate, for now.

[LoneWolf_Recon]

A friend on my robotics team recommended we somehow jury rig the tracking system to navigate our robot around a course (which is within the Vive's tracking cube).

And now it'll be so much easier. :dance:

[Jelman]

[QUOTE=Orkel;50829948]Mandatory $3000 training course before you're able to participate, for now.[/QUOTE]

Yeah but if you're a company looking to develop hardware 3k probably isnt that bad.

Also it means less fuckups will happen early on (Imagine steam greenlight, but hardware)

[Darkwater]

[QUOTE=Orkel;50829948]Mandatory $3000 training course before you're able to participate, for now.[/QUOTE]

I bet it will be more accessible in a year or two.

[editline]5th August 2016[/editline]

(Also note the $3k is per participant, though only one participant per company is mandatory)

[Boilrig]

So now we will get similar to Rift controllers from other companies, a point that sometimes made the difference between people buying the Vive or Rift.

[DrLuke]

[QUOTE=Orkel;50829948]Mandatory $3000 training course before you're able to participate, for now.[/QUOTE]

That's chump change for a company trying to be on the forefront of technology.

[Blizzerd]

i was thinking you could make a glove with these trackers, or a dildo and then have a pocket pussy move on the strokes of your ld lover's moves.

[Foda]

[QUOTE=DrDevil;50840514]That's chump change for a company trying to be on the forefront of technology.[/QUOTE]

why don't they just release the hardware and PCB designs??

[editline]6th August 2016[/editline]

[QUOTE=Jelman;50830807]Yeah but if you're a company looking to develop hardware 3k probably isnt that bad.

Also it means less fuckups will happen early on (Imagine steam greenlight, but hardware)[/QUOTE]

hardware has a very high technical and monetary requirement. you won't see greenlight for hardware.

[gk99]

[QUOTE=Wii60;50829923]im glad HTC/Valve is trying to establish a better open standard before anyone else can ruin it with a closed alternative.[/QUOTE]

Doing a damn fine job, too.

I'm not sure how I feel about Valve moving into more of a hardware business, but I like what they're doing with the Steam Controller and Vive.

[Timebomb575]

[QUOTE=Blizzerd;50840859]i was thinking you could make a glove with these trackers, or a dildo and then have a pocket pussy move on the strokes of your ld lover's moves.[/QUOTE]

There's an indiegogo out there for just such a product, actually :v:

Pretty sure it was successfully funded before the Vive even came out lol

[DrLuke]

[QUOTE=Foda;50841520]why don't they just release the hardware and PCB designs??
[/QUOTE]

I imagine that they want to keep shitty copies to a minimum, especially those from china. If they were to just openly release it, it would probably take no more than a month until you could buy the first low-quality versions from shenzen. That would dilute the overall perceived quality of VR and the headtracking that goes with it, and overall lower the satisfaction of people with Valve's system.

I imagine that it will be relatively open in the future, but until then they have to establish VR as a quality, yet somewhat affordable new technology that is actually widespread enough to warrant a significant investment by companies.