Using a Smartphone As a Virtual Reality Controller 13
New submitter mutherhacker writes: A group from Osaka University in Japan and McMaster University in Canada have presented a method to control a virtual 3D object using a smartphone [video]. The method was primarily designed for presentations but also applies to virtual reality using a head mounted display, gaming or even quadrocopter control. There is an open paper online as well as a git repository for both the client and the server. The client smartphone communicates with the main computer over the network with TUIO for touch and Google protocol buffers for orientation sensor data.
Not...seeing the point (Score:2)
Why not use the accelerometer to track XYZ movement instead of just rotation? Making the user use the touchscreen while holding the phone in random orientations seems like a horrible UI.
On the other hand, the principle has some merit. Using a phone as a slicing plane in 3D space could be clever in a different application.
Re: (Score:2)
Why not use the accelerometer to track XYZ movement instead of just rotation?
Drift.
Re: (Score:2)
If you're wearing a VR helmet, wouldn't an Oculus Touch-like hand controller be much better than a smartphone?
By 'slicing plane' I mean the ability to quickly snap a cross section view of a 3D model at any location at angle, for visualization or editing with a conventional 2D screen and tools.
Adjusting the viewport in 3D editing apps is something of a chore, even with tools like the SpacePilot... it would be nice to use a smartphone as a poor man's virtual camera [youtube.com], to view a scene from any position and angle