In late May, tech company 3DiVi launched an IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign for its full motion body controller for use with virtual reality (VR) headsets called VicoVR. The company hoped to raise $75,000 and now the VicoVR has met its target as the campaign draws to a close, achieving a total of $75,326 with the help of an impressive 330 backers.
VicoVR is a device that’s particularly useful for mobile VR users. Whilst the more premium head-mounted displays (HMDs) like Oculus Rift and HTC Vive use cameras and sensors to detect where the user is, mobile headsets like the Samsung Gear VR don’t have this ability so controls are restricted to head movements and gamepads.
With VicoVR, however, the headset user can become the controller, working in a similar way to Microsoft’s Kinect for Xbox or to the PlayStation VR camera. The VicoVR camera is able to detect up to 19 body points and connects wirelessly to any Android or iOS being used with a VR headset. The sensor bar is also able to handle all of the processing involved in controlling the videogame.
Now that the VicoVR sensor has been funded it’s estimated to begin shipping to backers in November 2016. Reaching its goal has come at the perfect time for VicoVR’s creators, too, as they have announced in an update that they’re attending the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) that’s taking place in Los Angeles this week. The VicoVR is being demoed at the event and was also present at the UploadVR part on Tuesday evening.
VRFocus got some hands-on time with the VicoVR kit at CES 2016 which took place in Las Vegas this January and we thought it showed a lot of promise. For more updates on VicoVR’s post-IndieGoGo progress, keep reading VRFocus.
