It took a bit of Valve time®, but it looks like they have now followed through on the initial promise of lighthouse tracking being a solution available to everyone royalty-free:
https://partner.steamgames.com/vrtracking/
The dev kit includes:
For now, it seems like you need to attend a ~$3000 training program to participate, but they indicate that this might change in the future. I don't think it's a huge barrier of entry for most companies seriously interested in hardware development.
Some questions from the FAQ:
https://partner.steamgames.com/vrtracking/
The dev kit includes:
- A modular reference tracked object suitable for attaching to prototype devices (pictured above I guess)
- Full complement of EVM circuit boards to enable rapid prototyping of your own tracked object
- 40 individual sensors for building your own tracked object
- Accessories to enable custom prototypes
- Two HTC Vive base stations
- Software toolkit to assist with optimal sensor placement
- Calibration tools for prototyping and manufacturing
- Schematics and layouts for all electronic components
- Mechanical designs for the reference tracked object and accessories
- Datasheets for the sensor ASICs
For now, it seems like you need to attend a ~$3000 training program to participate, but they indicate that this might change in the future. I don't think it's a huge barrier of entry for most companies seriously interested in hardware development.
Some questions from the FAQ:
