One of the latest companies in the HTC Vive X accelerator program 7invensun is launching an add-on that will introduce eye-tracking for the HTC Vive.
Using a series of IR LEDs and a near eye camera, the add-on tracks the user’s eyes in real-time.
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It will be initially launched as a development kit in China and inserts easily around the Vive lenses to illuminate each eye using the IR LEDs with a small camera tracking the actual movement. The device is powered by the Vive’s integrated USB port at the top of the headset.
Utilizing eye-tracking can assist with directing focus on a particular object and also help increase the resolution of the image by only focusing on the parts where the user is actually looking.
There’s also an add-on that will help those who rely on glasses and make it easier to use a virtual reality headset. The add-on is designed to rest over the Vive’s original lenses and comes with three focal points.
7invensun says the aGlass eye-tracking dev kit add-on for the HTC Vive will go on sale in China this month, priced around $220. In the US, the company expects the dev kit to go on sale in Q3. There’s no word yet on when a consumer version of the device will become available for the public.