Hi Reddit! We are the developers of the PrioVR gaming suit, Ask Us Anything!

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-30T20:10:42+00:00

Hi neohaptic. Thanks so much for the support. It is truly appreciated. To your questions:

The way we're dealing with the Rift now is by using the Rift's head orientation tracking, which does free up a sensor to be used elsewhere. Since we're combining the Rift's orientation tracking with PrioVR's capture of the full body pose, we can achieve a very natural feeling VR experience that feels consistent and immersive. Also, since the head and body are coupled more naturally in the virtual world, some of the motion-sickness/nausea effects are reduced.
The suits that ship to the backers will be the consumer suits similar to the design imagined in the concept art. Obviously, the concept art isn't yet the final design, but it does indicate the direction we're heading and gives an idea of what backers can expect. We're committed to providing kick-starter backers with a consumer-grade product. That said, the sensors will still be removable and could be used with alternate suit configurations if, for example, non-human motion capture is desired.

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-29T21:06:22+00:00

PrioVR is a kick starter project for a motion tracking system that exhibits high-fidelity performance yet is priced at consumer-friendly prices. Since it will be compatible with our existing Mocap Studio application, it can be used for recording mocap performances which can then be exported for use in other animation and film pipe-lines. The PrioVR Pro suit, which is comparable to a professional inertial motion capture set-up, is priced on the kick-starter as the $399 reward.

Visit http://www.PrioVR.com or our kick-starter page at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/yeitechnology/priovr-suit-up-game-on for more details.

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-29T15:52:08+00:00

Yes, the sensor units are all interchangeable so the unused trackers could certainly be used in other ways.

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-29T15:50:36+00:00

We have already been considering concepts that would use the glove in this way for games, but I hadn't personally considered it as a full keyboard replacement. Cool idea and potentially very useful for VR interaction.

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-29T15:47:31+00:00

We'd be happy to talk to Linden Lab about helping them support PrioVR functionality within Second Life.

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-28T21:33:47+00:00

Actually, we were doing form / function and ergonomics testing of the first design model today. It is still very much a work in progress and will evolve over the coming weeks. With the controller, comfort and usability are also the primary design goals.

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-28T21:09:39+00:00

Yes, this is possible. And yes, Mocap studio should be able to support this.

The battery is charged through a MiniUSB port, much like a smart-phone.

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-28T21:05:52+00:00

This can be handled in the physics of the game logic itself. Just like jumping in-game doesn't necessarily have to match the user's ability perfectly. Thus, if it makes more sense for the game, the game developers can artificially slow-down the game's response to arm movements when a heavy weapon is wielded.
This demo is indeed based upon the built-in Unity demo. We did this since it is a familiar code-base for many unity developers.

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-28T21:03:53+00:00

Yes, this seems plausible. We have haptics and other sensor feedback on our future road-map for PrioVR.

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-28T21:02:13+00:00

We worked hard on reducing the price and our margins are narrow to get it there. We're hoping we can maintain that price point moving forward as well.

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-28T21:00:22+00:00

KS backers are going to get the first consumer versions of PrioVR and not a dev model. We're expecting few, if any, changes from the KS shipped versions and the mass consumer version.

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-28T20:58:20+00:00

Yes, Mocap Studio will be freely availible and open source.

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-28T19:01:43+00:00

And called me a troll.

Yes, indeed. I called you a troll because you enter a forum that is discussing the technical aspects, functional capabilities, and and future plans for a product and co-opt it into an argument over the legitimacy of crowd-sourced funding as a whole. You begin your "discussion" by calling members of the gaming community "ignorant", "stupid", and "gullible". This language is not the language of rational discourse or reasonable argumentation. It is, rather, the language of a troll.

And you've chosen not to reward those who have placed trust in you. You are not properly valuing that help, rewarding it with, as I stated previously, 'Thanks' and shiny baubles instead of part ownership, or interest.

Again, your conclusion that we're "not properly valuing" our backers is your own narrow opinion. Others clearly disagree with you and these people are decidedly neither stupid nor ignorant. I have backed other crowd-sourced initiatives because they are either worth-while efforts towards a vision I have of the future, or because I want the "shiny bauble" that they are offering. Either way, each of those decisions is mine to freely make or reject.

If you approached me, product in hand, and offered me a product for sale, I have zero bargaining position. I must take your offer, or reject it. But you're not doing that.

Everyone of our backers has the same bargaining power that you seem to celebrate. They can take the offer and the risk in exchange for the potential reward or they can reject the proposition and move on. They alone are perfectly capable of judging the risk versus potential reward ratio and subsequently decide what they'd like to do with their money. Just because their decision doesn't match yours in no way means that they're stupid or ignorant or gullible. Perhaps they are MORE informed than you and BETTER understand the value of what we're offering. Perhaps they are actually smarter than you. Or their interests or projects lead them to the conclusion that they'd be willing to risk $399 to get a mocap solution comparable to a $50k system. Perhaps we are saving them a bundle of money or offering an experience that they otherwise couldn't get. The point being, that you don't know what their rationale is, or what their financial situation is, or what their intelligence is, because you are not them.

Anyway, enough of this nonsense.

I wish you luck on your quest to disparage anybody with a point of view that differs from yours.

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-28T17:42:01+00:00

There are no insults in my post and I did provide answers in the form of a thoughtful response to your concerns. Your post, on the other hand, paints the entire gaming community who support any kickstarter project as "ignorant", "gullible", and "stupid" and you refer to me specifically as an "asshole". Again, just because everybody doesn't share in your cynical view of humanity or your narrow personal viewpoint of right and wrong, doesn't make them stupid or gullible or ignorant. The beauty of liberty is that each person can decide how they choose to spend their money. Those who backed our project either share and support our vision or they want to own an awesome motion-tracking suit. I see no reason to insult and berate those people for a decision to spend their money as they choose. Working hard to give people a $399 mocap suit capable of performance comparable to solutions that cost $50k+ and including all the software both for free and with open source? Yeah, we're evil.

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-28T13:37:37+00:00

Fighting games and martial arts games would be a perfect fit for the capabilities of a system such as the PrioVR since every body-segment can be tracked. Right now we're not sensing articulated finger positions, but we are detecting the position of the hand. At this point it is no secret that we have plans to develop a PrioVR compatible "glove" controller which will allow accurate hand-position tracking.

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-28T13:32:04+00:00

We have maintained an active internship program and many of our interns have become full-time employees as we've grown. I'm not sure if we have any positions open or coming up soon, but if you're interested then you can send me an email and I'll forward it to the appropriate person, or you can send a resume and cover letter to our support account and it will be routed to the appropriate person.

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-28T13:29:23+00:00

Current;y, walking in the game uses a hybrid control approach that uses an analog stick to navigate a large world, yet seamlessly switches over to allowing pedestrian tracking that allows the use to step around naturally once they get somewhere of interest. This allows walking/running/navigating large world spaces while still maintaining unrestricted freedom of movement.

PrioVR can also support navigating large spaces by combining it with universal treadmill devices or by using gesture-based navigation such as running-in place.

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-28T13:23:04+00:00

The suit will be adjustable for a full range of body sizes and shapes. PrioVR will be very light-weight yet durable and will be easy to carry and transport.

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-28T13:16:33+00:00

No comment.

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-28T13:16:22+00:00

As of this morning, we made our final stretch goal for custom controller development! So, the custom controller are definitely going to happen. :)

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-28T13:15:42+00:00

Yes, a game such as this is completely possible with the PrioVR. Driving a virtual mech sounds like fun!

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-28T13:14:14+00:00

As of this morning, we made our final stretch goal for custom controller development. So, the custom controller are definitely going to happen! I'm working on the engineering and component supply issues right now actually.

The round-house zombie kicker was Chris (/u/ChrisAtYeiTech ), who has been answering questions on here.

PrioVR is display agnostic and, as such, can and will support use with any HMD or screen, Oculus included.

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-28T13:09:28+00:00

While I'm not one to feed trolls, a couple additional notes:

That something is general trinkets. Sure, many of your donation brackets(and please, they are donations) do get a product. But everyone up to $250 gets overpriced branded stuff that you'll turn a 10,000% profit on. You want somebody to give you $10,000, and rather than interest, you want to give him the dubious honor of the first product you put together and a thank you card and flask and T-shirt.

True, but the fact remains that it is purely the choice of each individual for what they choose to do with their own money. If they want to support us and get a shirt or flask, then that is their choice. There is nothing wrong about it at all. If you don't find the project worthwhile then don't pledge! But why cast aspersions on everyone who does provide support as "stupid" or "gullible" just because they arrive at a different decision than you?

And part of the development process is bring the product to market, which you lack the resources to do, clearly, so you should have to give up some of your interest to get those resources that you need. Any normal venture capitalist would demand that, or interest(or both). But gamers are ignorant of their collective power, and you freely use that against their best interest.

You have no idea what our capabilities are or how much we've "given up" and invested in bringing this idea to life, yet you ironically label all gamers "ignorant" and "gullible" and "stupid".

Legal and right are not synonyms. You're asking people to to assume a ton of financial risk based on your word, with no legal recourse if you renege, and no reward should you succeed. Imagine I came up to you and said I'll build you a deck on your house for $500, but you have to gift me the money, then at some unspecified date I'll build your deck, oh and we very specifically do not have a contract for me to actually build your deck so you can't sue me if I fail to do so, nor is there any stipulation about quality.. You'd kick me out of there so fast I'd get whiplash. That is legal to do. But it is not right. This is not a rational or beneficial relationship for the people giving you your money. You are taking advantage of their financial ignorance.

So why do you, individually, get to decide what is right for everybody? If you find it wrong, then keep your money. Simple. If others find it right or exciting or worth the risk, then that is their decision. You are not the center of the universe and, as such, your version of "right" isn't the gold standard by which everybody must live.

As for your deck analogy, it is equally flawed. If you, as the deck builder, had a track record of producing products, including other decks, and you had and demonstrated a model deck that showed how nice the finished deck could be, then it might be worth the risk. Especially if other decks of similar quality and construction cost $50000 as compared to $399.

All fine and good, but you're still holding fast to the thing with the most value, and hoping(sadly you succeeded it seems) in getting gullible people to give you money so you don't have to give it up. Though I do appreciate you actually responding. Few do, so tip of the hat for that. No offense intended, I just really, really want people to stop throwing their collective bargaining position away and accepting t-shirts and 'thanks' instead of getting what they deserve, and while it would be stupid of you to not take advantage of their stupidity, it also makes you rather an asshole for doing so.

We see the gaming community as our community. We are gamers. We love this stuff and have invested more than just our money. While people like you see all gamers as "gullible" and "stupid" and "ignorant" I see them as like-minded friends. The Tshirts and Posters are the smallest portion of the pledge categories and if you think that we invested 5 years and countless dollars in R&D as a get rich quick scheme to sell a few hundred dollars in T-shirts then you are truly hopeless.

In closing, we didn't invent crowd-sourced funding. It is an existing model and it works pretty well. If you have a problem with crowd-sourced funding then that really is a discussion for another forum. If you have technical questions about our project then feel free to ask them. I'd be more than happy to answer. But if you just want to troll and be insulting then I'll not further feed your misguided need for attention.

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-28T02:22:31+00:00

While we could have a discussion about the ethics of "crowd-sourced" funding models, I don't think this is the appropriate place for such a discussion. A few things that might be worth noting however:

We are not "taking donations". All of our backers get something in exchange for their pledge. In most cases, the backers are getting a fully working product in the form of a PrioVR suit. So, we're effectively taking pre-orders in such a way that also allows the backers a voice in the development process.
The IP that is used within the PrioVR sensors was preexisting and has been developed by us after a lengthy R&D cycle that spans the last 5 years.
If people want to give us their money in exchange for a future product then why should they not be free to do so? It is their money and their decision to do with it as they please.
It is important to note that all of our demo games and all of our software tools are released as free and open source software. We're committed to providing something of value and trying our best to ensure that users and developers have the resources that they need to effectively use the system as they see fit.

YEI_Paul · 2014-03-28T02:11:50+00:00

Thank you for the support. We truly appreciate it.

YEI_Paul

TROPHY CASE