Sixense Stem

Anyone else excited for this? Only another 2 months of waiting before we maybe get our hands on it

 

First off, I want to point out that you currently have 666 posts.

And secondly, I am definitely excited, just ordered mine last week! I was teetering between 1 base/1 pack/1 controller but just went all the way instead and bought the 5 sensor combo

When did you order yours? They updated the kickstarter just last week saying that the first batch would be going out in ~45 days. Although the store says 2-3 months for new orders (which I'm guessing my order falls under, unfortunately ). If you get yours first, let us know how it is!!

 

Haha wow, didn't even notice the post number. Cools broken now though lol.

I ordered mine in july or august. It's been tough to wait so long. It's killer with the new delay :/ ~45 days because they're shipping to silver backers, then the rest of kickstarter, and then store orders. Hopefully store orders like us are included in that ._.

I'll definitely post some videos all over these forums once I have my hands on those hands I ordered just the $299 standard package. 1 base, 2 hands. The hands are the major focus, so I wanna work with them first. I'll order more sensors later since they're $99 each in the store.

 

Awesome! Yea I'd definitely like to see some videos if you get the time. Ordered in july? Lucky... You'll likely get yours way before I get mine, we'll see.

Yea, I agree the hands are the most important part, especially since the new DK2's camera does head tracking pretty well. But with 3 extra sensors I'm excited to see the legs/arms and the ability to stand up with full rotation.

I'm really interested in seeing the range on the system. Says it's 8 feet, but after the Razer Hydra I'm worried... I'm hoping the addition of the IMU in the STEM system will give it better range. I'd hate to have something on the floor in front of me in VR, and when I reach out my virtual hand starts to shake/warp

AHH I can't wait, I really have to find another hobby in the meantime... The wait is killing me! lol

 

I've been waiting since they said it would be delivered in september. That was the first delay from july. Then the delay was october. Then december. Now people are finally getting stuff ... and the rest of us wait.

I sink way too much money into my hobby so I'm watching my spending here. I'm going to at first develop games you can play in a chair like a mecha game where the controls are just using your hands to move levers and push buttons. The other idea I have is being the gunner in an attack helicopter where you can swivel the gun realistically. That sounds a little boring, so I'm considering making it instead you are still a helicopter gunner, but you're wearing a futuristic suit with machine gun arms. Simple but fun.

Eventually, I'll move on to getting leg sensors, an occulus, etc. And then a long time after that, maybe the best available option that lets you walk in any direction but stay in place. With the stem tracking leg movements for $99 a foot, I don't need the uber expensive thing right now that you stand in with special shoes and that tracks your movement (virtuix omni?).

 

Yea, the Omni seems neat, but after spending $580 on the STEM, another $500 is pretty much out of the question for me for now... lol

Those are some neat ideas. Haven't thought of making a game myself just yet, probably going to just mess around with the sensors for a while at first and see how they work. I have a small zombie game I've been working on and just recently ported to my DK2 (took me less then an hour to bring into the Rift, I was surprised), I'll probably start by bringing in the STEM there for the gun/controls and see how it does.

Make the mech game multiplayer and then send me a copy! Haha

 

I don't have an oculus or anything yet xP I'm betting it all on the STEM. I could only afford 1 VR device and sixense made the prettiest. They also have experience because of the hydra. It wasn't the best, but when it worked, it worked well.

 

I ordered as soon as their kickstarter went online. I think that I ended up with around order 140. I got to try their lightsaber demo at SIGGRAPH. The stem was working really well for that although I am a little disappointed that the stem packs are a little bigger than I wanted.

 

That's awesome! What did you think? How was the tracking, smooth/responsive?

And what about the range? Can you recall about how far you were able to get away from the base?

 

It was pretty awesome. The tracking was really smooth and responsive. We had a controller in each hand for the lightsabers and a STEM pack attached to a Rift for head tracking. I overheard the Sixense CEO and one of the Oculus guys talking about the pros and cons of using optical vs stem for tracking. I think the latency is supposed to be higher for the stem but I didn't notice. We couldn't move far because of the rift but we picked up the controllers from the base on the desk then turned around for the demo. That already makes it much better than the hydra. knocking lasers out of the air with lightsabers felt totally natural. I believe that you can also use multiple base stations to extend the range.

 

That is correct. In their FAQ it says you can extend the range with more bases. It's great that you ordered so soon. People who paid a ton are getting it soon, but you're going to get yours probably in the first shipment for "other" backers. I pre-ordered mine from the site well after the kickstarter :/

It's a tough wait, so please post & link some videos when you can!

 

Pretty much exactly what I was hoping for, thanks GoesTo11!

Yes I've read that the bases can be extended as well, but as they're $100 per base I would really like one to suffice... If you can stand away from the base and face the other way as GoesTo11 said, it sounds like it has some decent range to it.

And I agree with Tomnnn, if you get your STEM first, don't forget about us folks on here still waiting! We'll want details

 

Yeah! Im super psyched about this but as a backer the wait has been a bit to long : p
Already working on a game for this and the Rift, hope to show of some early stuff very soon, sadly without the STEM support obviously : )

 

you and @GoesTo11 should link your youtube channels so we can keep an eye on them. As backers, you're both going to get your stuff a while before we do. STEM released an update, @AnimalMother , the second wave isn't even coming until March ._.

 

Still a long way until the backers gets their kits, they will be sent out in February probably, only the pre-production ones has been sent out for now, wish i was in that line : p

 

Yes, that's people who paid a ton. Other kickstarter backers are wave 2, initially thought to be february (because of the ~45 day delay), but sixense released a statement a few days ago that it is more likely going to be march.

 

I just searched everywhere for that statement from sixense on the release date being march (kickstarter updates, facebook, store...), can't find it anywhere. Was it released as an email that I didn't receive? Where can I find it? I would like to know how/where they are getting the word out so I can get future updates, thanks!

 

Yeah, did not see any such statement either?

 

@AnimalMother @virror

"As we approach the New Year, we wanted to give you a quick update on the status of your STEM System pre-order. We are as anxious as you are to get the STEM System into your hands, and onto your HMDs, as the case may be... We are currently producing and testing our final set of prototypes here in the U.S. as we prepare for factory production of the STEM Systems that will be shipped to you and the other pre-order customers. We anticipate production will be in full swing and systems will be delivered by March 2015."

An email from Steve Hansted. I got it on December 23rd. Sorry for the bad news xP

I'm a pre-order customer but not a kickstarter backer, so maybe I got this email by mistake. I ordered mine I think in july or august, a few months after the kickstarter. But maybe they've delayed this so long that it really is a pre-order now lol. Maybe I'm the "third wave", and that's March.

 

Well, it only states that the pre-order systems will be shipped in March, i would expect that as a backer, out systems will have priority and will be shipped before. But who knows, it has been delayed ridiculously long already : p

 

I'm not a backer :c

 

Hi,
I'm a STEM (5 Pack) K.S backer... also backed Perception Neuron & have DK1 & DK2
I'm hoping the LightSaber Unity game is open so we can add our own avatars etc...

I really want to try 2 Oculus HMDs ( two player games ) e.g.. ping-pong for starters each player only requires a single Stem hand controller... right ?

As for delivery dates... you will go mad thinking about it... just let it roll.. & some time soonish there'll be a knock at the door.

Probably one of the most immersive experiences I've had to date in the Oculus DK2 would be Live For Speed with a Logitech G27 Racing wheel.. I am literally in the seat of an F1 car ! another great game is Lunar Flight.
note: I'm running on a MacBook Pro 2011 model & still I am able to run most games 75fps looks great... boot camped running Win.7 .. mind you, I'm planning to upgrade soon once we start to see Graphic cards dedicated to V.R.. until then I'll stick with an old MacBook & see how it runs once CV1 is released late in 2015

 

Woo, another person! Be sure to link videos here when you get your stuff. I don't care if it's filmed on a potato.

 

I really dig the possibility to 3D print your own Stem Controller attachments... e.g.. pistol etc..
Kick Starter Backers can download the 3D printable CAD file & create any manner of attachments.. Cool as

 

Yeah, its really nice with the attachments, just to bad they did not include a connector for power+data, would have made it way more flexible.

Edit: They did claim that all 3 demos (lightsaber, shooting-range, office) was going to be released for free with full source to help ppl getting started. Im pretty annoyed that they still have not released their new SDK though...

 

Sounds like I'll be watching random people play those 3 demos until mine arrives Well, that's something.

Something > nothing

 

Maybe we can get some nice update from CES : )

 

I can assure you that the pre-production prototypes have not been sent out yet

 

Sixense’s Danny Woodall says that “by the end of the month we should be shipping out all of the prototype units. And then right after that we’ll be starting to push out all the Kickstarter units to everyone else that’s pledged. I think probably early March hopefully most people will start having systems show up at their doorsteps.”

 

I'm glad I didn't go for one of the prototype units.

 

Yeah, it'd be disappointing to get a dev unit just barely before the first customers get their real ones. That defeats the point of paying for a dev unit in the first place.

 

Quick question, has there been any news/infomation if you will be able to use this with unity, as this could be something that would fit well in my project.

 

Yes, it will come with several Unity demos and a Unity SDK from what i have read.

 

awsome I may have to order one

 

"The current Unity Plugin will suffice for development until the STEM system is available. It will be a fairly painless process to update the Unity plugin to support the STEM system. The VR SDK Unity Plugin will likely become available either when you get your system, or as we approach GDC in March."

I finally got some answer from the Sixense forum : )

 

Whew, to think it was a year and three months ago I pledged money (early bird 5 tracker) and it will be close to a year and a half before we receive our units. I am not complaining as the amount of work that goes into development of something like this is not really measurable. I honestly believe this type of input is required to achieve the sense of presence. Im gettin more excited by the day!

 

Currently, I'm counting on april before it arrives at my place as a late pre-ordering guy. I ordered the 3-pack option.
I'm curious about how they put the head tracker on the DK2 head band. It should be placed very stable. A few mm or degrees ill be noticeable.
BTW: I do not thing they use the head tracker in their demos to determine head/DK2 position/rotation. Putting the head tracker over there removes the need to calibrate the hand positions, because you have a (more or less) stable reference point wrt the Rift.

 

I think they do use the head tracker as positional tracking for the head instead of the rifts as it removes the camera limit and allows for free movement.

This wait is killing me : D

 

The wait is actually killing my Hydra Mine is breaking down and I am trying hard to replace it with another Hydra until stem arrives... Luckily I have a number of good friends.

 

Check out our review of the prototype of the Sixense stem wireless tracker
Please also check out our other video's and subscribe to our channel.

 

Thanks for the review maart. I agree about the stem packs. I was hoping that they would be smaller. I asked Sixense about it at the SIGGRAPH VR meeting. They said that it was unlikely to get smaller for the kickstarter release. Hopefully that will change in the future.

 

This is so funny.... we're now into Nov. 2016 & still no Sixsense Stem System... the company is full of bullshit. The CEO "Amir" is such a wanker openly ripping off so many KickStarter Backers... making so many promises & still he dribbles on about delivering the product. It's a total waste now Oculus Touch is out.

 

I still have use for the system. They have stated that they expect to start shipping in December. Based on the progress that they have made and their history of knowingly giving false estimates, I expect that we won't see them until February/March at the earliest. They say almost nothing on Kickstarter but Dan is pretty active on their forums and sometimes gives useful information.

 

It has some uses for sure since it has multiple trackers, but it will be a waste making a game that supports it because the userbase will be super small : /

 

A userbase of 1 (me) is still worthwhile to me. They are developing a consumer version that is supposed to be much cheaper but who knows when that will be ready.

 

Make that 2 : )

 

At this point, I've serious doubts about the product. It's changed forms a fair bit since the kickstarter, and I'm not sure it's even as useful as they were claiming. It's going to have to be crazy accurate to beat the Vive controllers, and my experience with the previous Sixense controller (Hydra) makes me really doubtful of that.

 

A necropost to revive a thread about a dead project. I thought that would be appropriate.

The Kickstarter is officially abandoned and they are providing refunds for everyone. So if you supported the project, make sure you check your messages on Kickstarter to get a refund.

I'll be happy to get the refund, but it looks like they kept our money until they finally had production figured out and then decided not give us the product. It is much more profitable to screw us over and hit the enterprise market.

https://www.kickstarter.com/project...st-way-to-interact-with-virtual/posts/2314197

 

4 long years... But it's really their only move going enterprise, there's no consumer need now with Oculus Touch, Vive, etc. Funny, I'm actually in the middle of reading an article on how the Vive Pro is getting finger tracking when I saw your post (https://uploadvr.com/htc-vive-pro-is-getting-finger-tracking). The stem was quickly made obsolete years ago.

And thanks for the heads up, already put in for my refund.