6DoF controllers and inside-out tracking
Virtual reality didn’t get much of a look-in during Samsung’s Developer Conference keynote – it was AR’s time to shine – but in a small talk held by VP Taeyong Kim, we got a better idea of what’s on the road ahead, including another headset.
Kim revealed that Samsung is looking to fill the gap between current mobile VR (Gear VR) and the high-end Samsung Odyssey HMD. While Kim didn’t explicitly name any new product, he said that Samsung was “actively working” to bring a bunch of new features to the new system including inside-out positional tracking and 6DoF motion controls.
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Currently the GearVR (and most mobile VR) uses 3DoF controls, which allows for rotational movements, but 6DoF would mean depth too – so you could reach out and grab things.
Kim also announced that Samsung was working with “global partners” including Intel on inside-out tracking for the new headset.
What he didn’t say was whether this will be an iteration on GearVR or a completely new standalone headset, similar to what Google is doing with HTC and others on its standalone Daydream headsets. He just called it Samsung’s “next mobile product”. Whatever it ends up looking like, we expect we’ll see it next year.
