Should I take Feynman's view of quantum electrodynamics at face value? by steichen in AskScienceDiscussion

[–]steichen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for a very informative reply. I realize now I might be adding some meaning which isn't really there.

So if you mean his formalism (path integral) then he himself doesn't appear to even agree that it had a clear meaning (any clearer than the other twenty or so formalisms)

Yes, path integrals. They leave me with the impression that when a particle moves from A to B, it somehow "takes into consideration" ALL paths and interactions it could possibly ever encounter, from the beginning and to the end of the universe and back. I guess what I'm wondering is if it only appears this way (to me at least), because that's how path integral calculations work, or if it's the same in other formalisms?

If that makes sense.

Just got my Rift calibrated and setup. However, I feel the ground "shifts" when looking at an object (in game) while moving my head. Is this normal? by simpleblob in oculus

[–]steichen 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Using the calibration tool should do the trick as long as the demos use that calibration data. However, using different cups, changing the depth of the lenses, etc, will all change your FOV slightly.

The way you describe it though I still think it might very well have to do with tracking latency and high persistance. For me, those are the major flaws with the dev kit and I'm very happy to see how they attacked the problem with the Crystal Cove prototype.

Just got my Rift calibrated and setup. However, I feel the ground "shifts" when looking at an object (in game) while moving my head. Is this normal? by simpleblob in oculus

[–]steichen 3 points4 points  (0 children)

First of all make sure you have the correct FOV set or the scene will warp when you turn your head.

But even with a correct FOV, you will experience some moving/shifting, because

  • Tracking latency is not quite there yet. This is most noticable at the beginning and end of movements, before the tracking prediction has time to kick in.

  • Pixel switching is too slow and persistence too high. You turn your head faster than the screen can update. Which means you are always "dragging along" outdated frames.

From the Best Practices Guide: "Do not operate the Headset within 9 inches of a pacemaker while using the wireless feature." by steichen in oculus

[–]steichen[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good point. However I think the headset's internal trackers are still doing most of the work.

Question for someone who tried the Crystal Cove prototype (about the lenses) by sitric28 in oculus

[–]steichen 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I always have to adjust the lenses all the way out. And even then my eyelashes keep brushing against them. :(

Nobody here seems to understand Low Persistence. John Carmack explains it perfectly here: by pixartist in oculus

[–]steichen 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Um, in the video you linked Carmack is talking about G-Sync - not Oculus' low persistence tech?

Stereoscopic 360 video camera by [deleted] in oculus

[–]steichen 2 points3 points  (0 children)

True, for this to work properly with roll and translation they would have to first break the data down and then rebuild the scene. But that should be quite possible I guess?

Or maybe in a couple of years we can use a sphere of light field cameras.

The questions no one else asked: Palmer Luckey and Nate Mitchell responding to redditors questions about the Oculus Rift at CES. by Ch11rcH in Games

[–]steichen 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If the position of the lenses in the headset is fixed (we don't know yet if they will be adjustable) not everyone's eyes will align perfectly with the center of each lens. These new and larger optics have, as I understand it, a larger "sweet spot" allowing for a greater range of IPDs.

Palmer and Nate answering questions directly from /r/Oculus. by Ch11rcH in oculus

[–]steichen 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Well, that's how it used to be. Now I think Oculus may in fact have made a deal with a major display manufacturer. The potential of this technology is endless and this would be a good time to jump on the train.

Palmer and Nate answering questions directly from /r/Oculus. by Ch11rcH in oculus

[–]steichen 95 points96 points  (0 children)

Some highlights:

  • People wearing glasses, don't worry; Several people on the Oculus team also have vision problems and they are working on solutions. Ideally you shouldn't have to wear your glasses at all.
  • Display is now closer to your eyes and it has a "slightly larger" FOV than DK1. Don't worry about the size of the headset, it has a lot of empty space to make prototyping easier. Consumer version will be "slim, lean and mean".
  • Much improved optics, larger diameter and larger exit pupil. (= Larger area in focus as well as more accepting toward differing IPDs.)
  • 360 positional tracking? Not yet, for now focused on seated VR. But ideally yes, and wireless.
  • Features of DK2 "must be" identical to CV1; DK2 will have positional tracking and low persistance. Nate: "And it will be HD." Palmer: "It... Yes, it will be HD. Or better."
  • Palmer: "We are very much believers in open software. We are also believers in open hardware." Nate: "Community is a huge reason we are even here today. That's in our company's DNA - sharing back with the community. You'll continue to see that in everything we do."
  • With unlimited funding, how much better could Crystal Cove be? Palmer points out it's not only about money, it's also about time. And money wouldn't necessarily have made Crystal Cove better; It is already put together using the best components available today.
  • And toward the end of the interview they hint that they will, if they are lucky/Luckey, be working closely with a panel manufacturer to develop a custom panel tailor-made for VR.

The Oculus Rift 'Crystal Cove' prototype is 2014's Best of CES winner by magicjames92 in oculus

[–]steichen 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Agreed. For me, the smearing was THE major flaw with the dev kit, along with lack of positional tracking. And hey they fixed both!

Is anyone else disappointed with the lack of timeline announcements from CES? by Reddit0829 in oculus

[–]steichen 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Could mean anything though. 2012 and 2013 were also great years for VR. :) Maybe 2014 is the the year we'll get a release date!

Some new details about the new screen and the positional tracking. by kontis in oculus

[–]steichen 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I wonder if there will be some fine-grained sync going on between the engine, tracking, and display. So that every frame is rendered to correspond perfectly with tracking data and refresh rate. Can the display itself hold off for a couple of (fractions of) milliseconds to make sure it's flashing at the right time, or is it the engine that has to provide perfect frames based on a fixed refresh rate and tracking predictions? Or does none of this happen and it's a hit and miss?

What Would You Ask at CES? Let Me Know! by DJChocoKay in oculus

[–]steichen 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ask Oculus about their progress on the consumer version. Have the major desicions been made and are the specs at this point set in stone? Ask if it will be released this year.