Tundra tracker - Live on Kickstarter!

Smaller, slimmer and lighter

Against the competition, Tundra tracker is significantly smaller and lighter than the alternatives. Our prototypes weigh only 40 grams and we expect production units to weigh 46 to 50 grams! The Tundra tracker has a sleek profile of 50.2 x 50.2 x 38.5 (all dimensions in millimeters). The innovative design contains no "horns" to catch on cables and is engineered with the lowest possible center of gravity to prevent "wiggling" when worn.

Better battery life

with a battery life that is STILL unparalleled, we pack a hefty 850 mAh battery into our tiny size! Sensor optimization and smart design with low power consumption allows Tundra tracker to work for at least 7 hours.

Better assembly

Exclusive to Kickstarter, Tundra tracker comes with with two base plates:

• Belt / shoelace loop
• Universal 1/4 screw mounting

The base plates are designed with with customization in mind. We also plan to release the Baseplate 3D / CAD so you can remix the base however you want and it is easy enough to be 3D printed.

Better USB management

For some fun, we polled the community to determine the name for our unique USB to USB wireless adapter (often referred to as a dongle). The community spoke loud and clear:

The name is Dongle ... Dongle McDongleface

For convenience we also call it Super Wireless Dongle and abbreviated "SW". with one of our SW dongles allows a single USB connection to be used for multiple SteamVR devices.

There are 3 versions you will find in the support layers:

• SW3 dongle - can connect with up to 3 devices simultaneously
• SW5 Dongle - up to 5 devices
• SW7 Dongle - up to 7 devices

The Super Wireless Dongle is conveniently designed to fit within the Valve Index Frunk! If you already have "junk in your Frunk" or another Headset, no problem, the SW can be connected directly to the PC with with an included USB extension cable.

Our dongles use universal firmware from Valve which is compatible with with any SteamVR device. This means that not only can they be used to communicate with Tundra tracker, you can also use them to connect with:

• Valve Index Controls
• HTC VIVE and VIVE Pro "Wand" controllers
• VIVETrackers
• etee controllers
• Logitech VR Ink
• Each custom Controller develops with the SteamVR HDK

Great tracking in VR

Real world testing by enthusiasts and the community has given us credibility and confirmation that our prototypes follow well despite their size once thought impossible.

Application content

Miyu, our brilliant community manager in Japan, has created a collection of full-body demos with using the various popular VR applications. We will continue to expand this list to support as many people as possible!

Technical points

The shape of the Tundra tracker was designed from the ground up with for precision and ease of use.

The SteamVR Tracking algorithm works well when the optical sensors are formed into a constellation, where three sensors create a plane and a fourth sensor is as far from this plane as possible

Increasing the distance between these points optimizes tracking performance. We have developed a "folded" geometry that provides this flat point spacing while minimizing the total number of sensors and volumetric enclosure of the device.

Internal electronics

Miniaturization is the superpower of the Tundra Lab. Internally at Tundra tracker extensive work has been done to determine the simplest origami of complex flexible electronics.

Ultimately, all electronics are distilled into a single manufacturable flexible circuit that has very high panel utilization to maximize plant efficiency and minimize raw material and waste costs.

The core processing engine of the tracker - TL448K6D-VR - also known as "Watchman" includes two ARM Cortex-M4 processors, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), 2.4GHz radio, MEMs inertial measurement unit and two accurate MEM clocks. It probably runs Doom, but we haven't tried it - John Carmack please with contact us (just kidding).

Certification

Because Tundra tracker is an electronic device and also a device that will perform wireless (RF) transmission and reception, it is required to perform a number of regulatory tests and certifications to provide products to customers. We are partnering with with a third-party testing company to provide certification in the following regions:

• United States - FCC
• Canada - IC
• European Union - CE
• Japan - TELEC / MIC
• Australia / New Zealand
• South Korea
• China

In addition to these countries, we are working to expand our regulatory footprint as much as possible and support as many customers worldwide as possible.

Tundra Labs: who are we?

Luke Beno, the founder of Tundra Labs, has been working on SteamVR tracking since 2015. First as a Field Applications Engineer at Triad Semiconductor, where he worked directly with with the team at Valve to create the sensor ASIC technology that eventually became an integral part of SteamVR tracking.

In 2018, Tundra Labs was formed to continue this mission and collaborate with with hardware OEMs to integrate tracking into their products. During this time and in various capacities, Tundra Labs has worked on almost every SteamVR integration. This includes major brands such as LG, Acer, Varjo, Logitech, JVC, Wandelbots, Athanos3D and others that remain confidential.

In early 2020, Tundra Labs announced the availability of the first fully integrated TL448K6D-VR system in package (SIP). This device has significantly reduced the cost, complexity and size of the "Watchman" electronics required to make a SteamVR product. These modules are now shipped in bulk to customers around the world. In addition, we launched our first developer kit, the TL448K6D-HDK, which allows developers to create their own unique devices with software tools from Valve.