VIVE Location-Based Software Suite (LBSS)

The HTC VIVE Focus 3 is currently one of the most widely used VR headsets in LBE-omgevingen (VR arcades). Thanks to its powerful hardware and rich software-ecosysteem, the VIVE Focus 3 is flexible to deploy and easy to implement on a larger scale. The VIVE Focus 3 offers 5K-beeldresolutie, a 90 Hz refresh rate, can receive WiFi 6 and 6E, and has a built-in battery that is swappable while playing.

The battery of the Focus 3 is ‘hot-swappable’. This means that the battery can be detached and replaced with a new one while using the headset. During the battery swap, the headset remains powered on, ensuring the player is never without power. The Focus 3 can also be paired with the HTC VIVE Wrist Tracker for specific games where the use of hands or other objects (such as a tennis racket or baseball bat) needs to be brought into the digital world.

The Focus 3 comes standard with HTC VIVE Business Warranty. This business warranty ensures that companies can use the headset without issues in a commercial environment. Additional services such as direct HTC-support, expedited RMA repairs, and a device management system are included. Furthermore, the VIVE Focus 3 operates with an open platform, making it easy to connect to external MDM-systemen, such asArborXR.

As the demand for additional functionalities from the VR-markt continues to grow (including from the kunst- and cultural sector), the software from LBE is being renamed to Location Based Software Suite (LBSS). The new LBSS includes the following:

Map Sharing involves multiple users sharing a single play space. The room configuration of one headset can be shared with multiple headsets, allowing the space to be set up more quickly so that players can get started faster. This is ideal for LBE-locaties who use the VIVE Focus 3 in an free-roam multiplayer environment (such as Cops vs. Robbers). It is possible to save multiple types of room settings on the headsets. This allows for easy switching between different spaces without needing to configure each headset individually.

This makes it easier to get users directly into the VR-ervaring. With Visual Odometry (VO), the headset determines its position and orientation in the space. Normally, this is an extensive configuration that a user has to perform each time in their room. But with the VO-modus, users can bypass the setup process of the standard environment, so they are immediately in the correct environment as soon as they put on the headset.

LBE Hybrid Mode ensures a seamless transition between the VO- and LBE-mode, allowing users to put on the headset and start immediately. By using the VO-modus, users can enter VR while still in the preparation area, where they can set everything up and get accustomed to the headset. Once they enter the designated play area, they can switch instantly to the LBE-modus for the full experience. This smooth transition allows users to swap even more quickly.

The Simulator Mode is a unique solution where the type of tracking in the headset can be indicated. In some environments, you might want to have a realistic experience where the VR headset moves with the user (for example, in a VR training or other demo). But in other cases, you might want the user to only look around without needing to move about, even in low-light spaces (such as a car cabin or a cinema). In that case, the 3 DOF-modus provides an effective solution.

Like QR-codes, ArUco-codes are easily reproducible visual trackers that provide unique ID-punten and additional positie-informatie to VR headsets in real-time. ArUco-codes can offer extra tracking points to reduce positional drift, and they can serve as unique markers to align virtual objects with real-world environments for more immersive experiences.

With ArUco-markeringen, the VIVE Focus 3 can instantly detect and align coordination in a shared space. Location sharing based on markers is ideal for eliminating the typical cumbersome setup processes associated with VR-ervaringen for multiple users, such as calibrating each headset from a specific starting point in the play area.

We (and HTC VIVE) are happy to think along with solutions for LBE-omgevingen. Is there a functionality needed that has not yet been included in LBSS-systeem? Then it is possible to contact us to explore potential solutions together! Our team of specialists is always ready to provide the best advice and help find a good solution to the problem. And if we can't find a solution together, we will gladly put you or your company in touch with the right people within the HTC VIVE team. Contact us to discuss further possibilities or visit ourconsultancy pagefor more information.