YEI Technology has just launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund their PrioVR project. PrioVR is an affordable VR motion capture system that will allow players to put their entire bodies inside a virtual reality environment.
The Oculus Rift lets us see into the virtual world. The Virtuix Omni lets us walk in it. And now, PrioVR wants to put your entire body into the game.
The PrioVR will use an array of high-performance inertial sensors along with a centralized, wearable, wireless hub architecture enabling PrioVR to provide 360 degrees real-time motion capture while reducing latency and improving wireless performance. There will be no need for special rooms, cameras, optics or line of sight that current VR systems require and can accommodate multiple simultaneous users with minimal setup.
PrioVR is a project from YEI Technology who wowed us with their full avatar embodiment demo back in 2012. While very cool, that system cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $4,000 thanks to its use of YEI’s 3-Space Sensors. PrioVR achieves the same VR motion capture capabilities and starts at $450 — at the same time, they’re making the sensors smaller and specifically designing the system for real-time VR input.
YEI Technology is offering two flavors of PrioVR, a Lite edition and a Pro edition. PrioVR Lite comes with 11 tracking nodes while PrioVR Pro comes with 17. Both kits come with the wearable wireless hub, a wireless base station, and all the necessary straps. The earliest kits are expected to be delivered starting in September, 2014.
Here’s a breakdown of the basic reward tiers:
| PRICE – TIER | REWARD | # AVAILABLE |
|---|---|---|
| $450 – Early Bird PrioVR Lite Developer Kit | PrioVR Lite kit (11 tracking nodes) including API, SDK, demo game, and all necessary items to get you started. | 150 |
| $475 – PrioVR Lite Developer Kit | PrioVR Lite kit (11 tracking nodes) including API, SDK, demo game, and all necessary items to get you started. | no limit |
| $625 – Early Bird PrioVR Pro Development Kit | PrioVR Pro kit (17 tracking nodes) API, SDK, demo game, and all necessary items to get you started. This set includes additional sensors for professional quality motion capture. | 150 |
| $650 – PrioVR Pro Development Kit | PrioVR Pro kit (17 tracking nodes) API, SDK, demo game, and all necessary items to get you started. This set includes additional sensors for professional quality motion capture. | no limit |
There’s also a number of lower and higher tiers offering things like t-shirts, posters, trips to meet the YEI Team, and more. Check it out at the PrioVR Kickstarter page.
The company is looking to raise $225,000 in 45 days for a successful Kickstarter campaign. They’ll need to sell somewhere in the neighborhood of 482 PrioVR Lite kits to hit that number — sounds doable to us!
There are still some lingering questions about PrioVR. What’s the battery life, latency, and range? Can PrioVR maintain global position without drift?
PrioVR’s functions intersect with the forthcoming Sixense STEM Kickstarter which is due to launch on September 12th. STEM, which offers five tracking points, aims for similar avatar embodiment with the capacity to track feet, hands, and head position. The price for STEM has not yet been announced and may end up being and important deciding factor for anyone split between these two exciting projects.
