Manus, the VR company that offers enterprise-level hand-tracking solutions, this week revealed a new full-body tracking solution to complement its existing offerings.
Called Manus Polygon, the system works using Vive Tracker pucks. The original Manus solutions already use two of these sensors attached to the backs of your hands to track their positions in virtual space. The sensors utilize the same SteamVR base-stations that track the HTC Vive and Valve Index headsets.
But Polygon adds another Tracker to your waist and two on your feet. We’ve seen full body tracking of this sort in plenty of other applications before (HTC itself was keen to highlight its use). But it’s in the mix of hand-tracking that makes this solution stand out.
In theory, this could take Manus a step beyond some competing VR body tracking systems. Other body tracking systems do sometimes offer finger-tracking, but we’ve tried Manus’ gloves, which are ready to slip on and calibrate. We haven’t tried Polygon itself, but that ease of use could be key. Crucially, the system comes with what Manus says is an easy calibration system that users themselves can operate. Polygon also comes with multiplayer support.
We took a look at the Manus VR gloves in a recent episode of our VR Culture Show. You can see it in action below.
Polygon will be arriving with enterprise customers this June. A price hasn’t been announced but, considering the Manus gloves themselves start at €2990, we wouldn’t hold our breath for a more consumer-friendly option.
Ever since virtual reality (VR) remerged as a viable consumer product the quest has been to make the technology as immersive and interactive as possible. That’s lead to motion controllers, eye tracking and hand tracking but full-body tracking has stopped and started due to the complexities of this process. Manus VR, the company which makes enterprise-grade data gloves, is almost ready to release its solution to this challenge, Manus Polygon.
Like other full-body tracking solutions such as CloudGate Studios’ version for Island 359, Manus Polygon utilises Vive Trackers on the feet, waist and hands. First introduced during CES 2020 back in January, the announcement this week will see Manus Polygon made available to companies looking for a full-body solution this summer, no matter the use case.
Suitable for a variety of applications including training and simulation to virtual collaboration Manus Polygon has been designed around easy self-calibration, so you don’t need anybody outside of the VR experience to help with setting up. The Polygon IK-system reads the movement of the Vive trackers and calculates the natural body movement of the user.
Compatible with Manus’ range of Prime gloves, Polygon supports multiple users either locally or via an existing network so colleagues can share a virtual workspace. This is achieved by the system working with a host who runs the simulation allowing guests to join their environment.
Another key part of Manus Polygon is the networked object tracking feature. This ensures all users see object locations in real-time, no matter who is using the object.
Compatible with HTC Vive and other SteamVR headsets, Manus Polygon will be compatible with Unity when it officially launches in June 2020. The company also plans to release an Unreal Engine 4 plugin later this year as well as expanding compatibility for more motion capture hardware.
The new range of Manus Prime gloves arrived in 2019, with three models for tracking users hand gestures. The flagship gloves are the Prime Haptic for €4990, offering haptic feedback for each finger.
Manus VR isn’t the only company exploring the full-body tracking space. Recently, Antilatency updated its software development kit (SDK) to version 1.0.0, adding support for Oculus Quest to its custom tracking solution. As further advancements are made in the field, VRFocus will let you know.
Virtual reality (VR) is all about immersion in whatever experience you happen to be in. No matter whether it’s a consumer videogame or an enterprise-focused app, one of the key ingredients for good VR is interactivity; the ability to physically touch and hold digital objects. For consumers, the best you’ll get at the moment is the Valve Index controllers but when it comes to business applications, that choice is blown right open. One of the biggest names in the VR data glove field is Manus VR, and VRFocus recently got to test its new flagship product, Manus Prime Haptic.
Manus VR originally started out in the consumer field before veering towards the enterprise market when that offered a more viable business opportunity. In its current line-up the company has four products for various use cases, starting with the entry-level Manus Prime One for basic finger tracking, the Manus Prime Xsens; designed for integration into an Xsens motion capture suit, the OptiTrack Hybrid Gloves for use with Optitrack systems and finally the Manus Prime Haptic.
It has long been the case that gloves have been associated with VR, the logical choice for anyone wanting to touch the digital realm. In reality that has taken longer than expected yet hand-tracking has now caught up with VR headsets.
Prior to the demo, the prospect of testing these gloves was an exciting one. Retailing for nearly £5,000 GBP (more than Magic Leap One or an HTC Vive Pro Eye) Manus Prime Haptic offers full finger tracking thanks to Flexpoint’s Bend Sensors as well as individual haptics for each finger and thumb. Was this going to offer the best indication that proper hands-on interaction was possible? Well, sort of.
At first glance, the Manus Prime Haptic gloves look a bit unwieldy with cables running along the fingers and Vive Tracker on the back of each glove. With two quick fasten belts – one for the wrist the other at the bottom of the palm for all the tech – once the glove was on it felt nice and snug, with the added weight not feeling too much of an issue. Once on, the gloves do exude a very sci-fi feel which doesn’t add anything per se, just ticking that internal geek checkbox which thinks ‘awesome’.
The gloves are only compatible with the SteamVR Lighthouse tracking system – hence the Vive Trackers – because, while the gloves have plenty of finger-tracking sensors Manus doesn’t have its own spatial tracking system. The Vive Trackers have proven to be a functional system for adding accessories but on gloves, they do look a little over the top.
As with any piece of engineering designed for business use precision is everything, so the set up does take a little while to make sure all components are working as they should. Each hand has to go through a series of gestures to adapt to an individual’s particular hand movements. These include pulling a fist, an open palm and making a gun shape. When completed it was on to the pinch mechanic for aligning the thumb and index finger. All good so far and once complete – all done on a flat monitor screen by the way, not in VR – the digital hand was perfectly tuned, every little wiggle and bend at the knuckle accurately portrayed on-screen with no lag.
Then it came to the haptics. Manus VR has chosen a slightly odd-looking system whereby the haptics are on the back of the finger – mostly over the nail – rather than on the fingertip itself. This was because the team found that any linear resonant actuators placed on the top 2/3rd’s of a finger would work. It’s certainly an unusual feeling to begin with, especially when the test software vibrates each one individually. Options are available for developers to alter aspects like duration and strength depending on the situation. Rather than a feeling of pressure, the actuators offer more of a sense that an object is present. In the demo when handling each object the effect meant only a light touch was needed instead of grabbing items with a firm grip.
By the end of the calibration phase, everything was looking and feeling good, gloves were still comfy and the eagerness to try a proper application was palpable. On a quick side note, notice the open fingertips? In today’s smartphone world the open tipped glove is essential and proved very useful even for the relatively short demo. And because of the algorithms Manus VR has created there’s wasn’t any noticeable issue with the sensors not reaching all the way to the fingertip – proven with the pinch calibration.
Finally, it was on to the main test, a basic assembly experience putting a few components onto an engine. When we say basic it was really basic, and very much an anti-climax. It did the job of demoing how Manus Prime Haptic could be used for training to build products but there was no wow factor. Little things little testing the haptics on the ribbed metal, hoping to feel a little undulation didn’t work because the app wasn’t designed to be that in-depth.
Manus VR says that the reason being it was up to the individual companies to make their own apps utilising the tech. Which is kind of understandable, just disappointing from a demo perspective. It like an athletics race where the start out the blocks was great but the energy waned towards the finish.
Manus VR has built some enviable tech into the Manus Prime Haptic gloves and the possibilities are endless for enterprise use cases. At £5k you’re not going to be adding them to your HTC Vive kit just yet. Hand tracking is one of those technologies that will become more ubiquitous whether it’s via gloves or systems like Leap Motion. However, Manus VR does have further improvements to make as there’s no lateral finger sensing in the gloves, so it’s impossible to make Spock’s ‘Live long and prosper’ Vulcan salute hand gesture.
I originally tried out the Manus VR gloves almost three years ago. In VR years that’s basically an entire lifetime ago. Back then it was rudimentary at best and we’ve seen several other solutioins from companies like Contact CI, Tactical Haptics, and HaptX. Now it looks like Manus is back with a new evolution of its controller design called the Manus Prime Series.
The Manus Prime Series has three variations: the Prime One, the Haptic Prime (shown in the featured image up above), and the Xsens Prime.
According to a company representative via email, the differences are as follows:
The Prime One is the core of our product line, an all-round wireless data glove that tracks individual fingers on two joints, and that can stream the data directly into Unity, Unreal, Motionbuilder or one of the large enterprise software platforms such as IC.IDO or Vizard.
The Haptic Prime is a Prime One with linear resonant actuators. It provides unique haptic signals depending on the type of material and how much virtual force is applied. Haptic feedback is fully customizable in the user interface, with an integrated material editor and adjustable signal strength, frequency and resonance.
Finally, the Xsens Prime is a glove designed for integration into a Xsens motion capture suit, to complete the hand with finger data on their IMU suits.
We have zero experience with any of these three new products so we can’t comment on their quality or effectiveness, but it’s certainly exciting to see a company continue iterating on and improving their technology. Glove-based interaction has a lot of potential for the future of VR, especially if we’re looking to pop fiction as inspiration. Hopefully we get a chance to try these new versions at SIGGRAPH later this year to provide hands-on accounts.
Check out the website for more details or if you’re interested in creating content for the gloves as a developer and let us know what you think down in the comments below!
Manus VR has been making data gloves for virtual reality (VR) for some time now, originally looking at the consumer market before solely focusing on the enterprise sector. While its core gloves offer accurate finger tracking for a range of applications – mainly training – today, Manus VR has expanded its lineup to offer three products, the flagship being the Manus Prime Haptic.
Manus Prime Haptic
Originally revealed a few months ago, the Manus Prime Haptic gloves are the pinnacle of Manus’ technology, not only providing wireless finger tracking thanks to twelve different sensors that measure hand orientation, thumb orientation and flexion of the knuckle and top joint of each finger, but also haptic feedback for each individual finder.
Manus VR has achieved this by using linear resonant actuators which can provide haptic signals depending on the type of material and how much virtual force is applied. Customers can then customise the haptic feedback depending on their needs, with the user interface featuring an integrated material editor to adjust signal strength, frequency and resonance.
The gloves are compatible with any headset using the SteamVR tracking solution, such as HTC Vive and HTC Vive Pro. While the gloves provide finger tracking, by themselves they can’t be tracked in a 3D space. Hence why Manus VR provides hand mounts and Vive Trackers with each purchase of the Manus Prime Haptic kit, which retails for €4990 EUR.
Manus Prime XSENS
The core of the product lineup is Manus Prime One. This is the company’s entry-level wireless data glove, with the same finger tracking capabilities has the Manus Prime Haptic, just without the haptic actuators. Manus Prime One retails for €2990 with the kit also supplied with Vive trackers. The gloves also come supplied with plug-ins for Unity and Unreal Engine.
Finally, there’s the Manus Prime Xsens glove. This has been specifically designed for integration into an Xsens motion capture suit, helping complete the hand and finger data on their IMU suits. Manus Prime Xsens retails for €3990, has the plug-ins but no Vive Trackers.
And that completes the lineup. Resellers can be found on Manus VR’s website with only one in North America currently, quite a few in Asia, and several across Europe. For further Manus VR updates, keep reading VRFocus.
The use of motion capture is film and videogames goes back further than most people think, but its use has really exploded over the past decade. However, motion capture is still a difficult and expensive process. Vicon are hoping to change that by introducing the Manus VR data glove into its available technology pipeline.
Vicon are a supplier of motion capture technology, for entertainment, research, engineering and science. The company is aiming to introduce the Manus VR data glove into its suite of technology in order to offer clients capabilities such as finger tracking and haptic feedback. At present, full-finger tracking is often difficult, particularly in areas where there are obstacles, or the actor’s pose makes it difficult. The gap is often filled with costly and time-consuming CGI animation. The Manus VR system makes the process easier and cheaper.
“The integration with Manus VR expands Vicon’s tracking capabilities, giving users the ability to gather accurate finger data in real time. The gloves’ intuitive design provides consistent and low latency analysis, aiding the creation of truly immersive experiences,” said Tim Doubleday, VFX product manager at Vicon. “Manus VR’s focus on innovation supports our vision to help customers bridge the gap between physical and virtual worlds.”
For development of virtual reality (VR) experiences, finger tracking becomes even more important, as it allows players to become further immersed in the virtual environment, able to interact with objects in a naturalistic way. For areas such as training, medicine or engineering, being able to accurately track finger movement makes a big difference in how successful the VR applications are.
“This was a natural next step in providing customers with an advanced full-body tracking system,” said Maarten Witteveen, CTO of Manus VR. “With the boundaries of virtual reality ever expanding, it’s important for us to partner with a motion capture pioneer like Vicon to equip customers with an unlimited amount of possibilities.”
VRFocus will continue to bring you news on Manus VR and other VR related products.
Manus VR are due to ship the long awaited Data Gloves later this month, and ahead of the official launch of the development kit has released a new video showcasing the latest iteration in use. Specifically showcasing physical interaction, the video makes use of Manus VR’s own in-house physics demo, designed for rapid prototyping and testing.
The Manus VR Data Gloves pre-orders began back in March 2017, so it will come as a pleasant confirmation to many that the devices will begin shipping later this month. In fact, Manus VR has revealed to VRFocus that the Data Gloves are in production and scheduled to ship for the week commencing 24th July 2017.
“We wanted to give our customers a small taste of future features that will become available for the Manus VR Development Kit,” stated Bob Vlemmix, Director of Business Development at Manus VR.
The new video, included below, showcases the Data Gloves within Manus VR’s own demo environment. VRFocus will keep you updated with all the latest details on Manus VR’s product line.
Editor’s Note: In this weekly column, David Robustelli will breakdown the latest rapid prototype he and his team at CapitolaVR have created for VR and/or AR. They are responsible for games like Duckpocalypse as well as prototype projects such as HoloLens Golf, Gear VR Mirroring, and Pokemon GO for HoloLens. Check back each weekend for new prototypes! You can see the previous entry here.
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For this prototype we worked on a concept together with the VR Room, an Amsterdam based Arcade hall offering custom made VR experiences. We wanted to test and research if the Manus VR Gloves could be an added value to the users game experience. The Manus VR gloves are gloves which can track the motion of the user’s fingers. The Manus VR gloves are not capable of positional tracking, only hand rotation and finger movement. Therefore, we made DIY straps and attached HTC Vive trackers to it. These straps can be placed on the wrists of the user. With these trackers, the position of the gloves could also be tracked.
The idea was to have meaningful interaction in a VR environment. We decided to make a VR shooter, but with a twist. The player can shoot bullets by making “shooting” movements with their fingers, as if they were using a gun. Also, players can block enemy bullets with their hands. Last, but not least, when the user puts his hands together, the player will charge a massive blast. This blast can be shot when the player pushes his hands forward when fullycharged.
The Manus VR gloves gives the user numerous ways to interact in VR. We’ve just explored the tip of the iceberg when it comes to these special input devices. We hope to create a lot more intuitive, innovative ways to interact with these gloves.
This is a guest post not produced by the UploadVR staff. No compensation was exchanged for the creation of this content. This contribution was provided by David Robustelli, Head of Digital at CapitolaVR.
Die virtuelle Welt mit den eigenen Händen zu erkunden hat einen ganz speziellen Reiz. Im realen Leben nutzen wir unser Hände für alle erdenklichen Vorgänge doch in VR müssen wir häufig einen Controller zur Hilfe nehmen und dieser macht die Eingabe abstrakter und weniger immersiv. Die Lösung könnte ein Handschuh sein, der die Bewegungen der Finger registrieren kann, im Raum getrackt wird und ein Feedback-System besitzt. Genau hier tritt Manu VR ins Scheinwerferlicht, doch kann das System bereits heute überzeugen? Wir haben uns das aktuelle Development Kit auf der CeBIT 2017 angeschaut.
Virtual Reality Handschuh auf der CeBIT 2017
Der Manus VR Handschuh fühlt sich wie ein gewöhnlicher Trainingshandschuh zum Radfahren oder Trainieren mit Gewichten an. Im Handschuh sind diverse Sensoren (IMU) verbaut, die für die Erkennung der Position der Finger verantwortlich sind. Zudem ist auf dem Handschuh eine kleine Einheit verbaut, die für eine Vibration und somit für ein gewisses Feedback an den Nutzer sorgt. Von all der Technik merkt der Träger aber nichts und der Handschuh ist genauso komfortabel wie ein gewöhnlicher Handschuh ohne Technik.
Für die Erkennung der Position im Raum setzt Manus VR auf die Vive Tracker, die HTC bereits an einige Entwickler ausliefert und welche im nächsten Quartal für Konsumenten auf den Markt kommen werden.
Die Kalibrierung muss für jeden Nutzer neu durchgeführt werden, da alle Hände unterschiedlich groß sind und der Abstand zwischen Unterarm (hier sitzt der Vive Tracker) und Hand variiert. Die Kalibrierung geht zwar schnell vonstatten, aber für die Nutzung in Arcades muss noch eine schnellere Lösung her, damit sich nicht lange Schlangen vor der Demo-Station bilden. Manus VR möchte auch genau in diesen Markt vorstoßen. Aktuell bieten die Entwickler das Dev Kit für 1000 Euro und die Halterungen für die Vive Tracker für 200 Euro an. Dieser Preis ist für Konsumenten einfach deutlich zu hoch. Aufgrund der geringen Stückzahl bei der aktuellen Herstellung ist aber laut den Entwicklern auch kein geringerer Preis möglich und der Verdienst an den einzelnen Handschuhen sei sehr gering.
Doch wie gut schlägt sich das Produkt im Vergleich zu Leap Motion und Co.?
Der Vorteil des Manus VR Handschuhs liegt darin, dass er nicht optisch getrackt werden muss. Somit könnt ihr die Hände auch außerhalb eures Sichtbereiches bewegen und dennoch werden sie vom Spiel registriert. Leider funktionierte die Erkennung auf der CeBIT nicht immer akkurat, da es zu viele Störquellen für die Sensoren gibt. Zudem erkennt der Handschuh nicht, ob ihr die einzelnen Finger seitlich bewegt. Diese Funktion wurde nur dem Daumen spendiert, da sich dieser stehts seitlich bewegt.
Durch das fehlerhafte Tracking der Finger können wir leider nur sehr wenig über die Brauchbarkeit des Produktes sagen. Generell hatten wir aber nicht das Gefühl, als sei der Handschuh bereits eine optimale Lösung für Eingaben in VR. Da der Handschuh auch nur ein Feedback auf dem Handrücken ausgibt und nicht an den Fingerspitzen, fühlt man noch keine besonders starke Immersion. Deshalb würden wir aktuell ein System wie Leap Motion wohl bevorzugen, auch wenn die Hände immer im sichtbaren Bereich sein müssen.
Falls ihr Entwickler seid und mit der Technik arbeiten wollt, dann könnt ihr bei den Herstellern ein Dev Kit bestellen. Konsumenten sollten sich aber zurückhalten, denn aktuell gibt es keine echten Spiele für die Handschuhe, die jeder herunterladen kann.
We have covered the development of the Manus VR Data Glove on VRFocus before, but Manus VR have just announced the release of the Development Kit for their hand-tracking Data Glove.
Costing €1000 EUR, the development kit included the following:
One Pair of Manus VR Gloves with USB RF Dongle
SDK for C++ and C#
Plugins for Unity 5
Unreal Engine 4 and Motion Builder.
The data glove itself is machine washable and includes two sensors per finger, a vibration motor for haptic feedback, and a rechargeable battery. The glove can be used with the HTC Vive for a range of applications, including training simulations, VR Arcades and motion capture.
Stephan van den Brink, CEO at Manus VR had this to say; “Since we started shipping our engineering samples last year, we’ve received an incredible demand for a professional data-glove Working closely with our early access developers such as NASA, MIT and Cambridge University we were able to enhance our product to an unprecedented level.”
The development kit is available for order now through the Manus VR official website.
VRFocus will continue to report on the Manus VR Data Glove.
