Chinese virtual reality company ANTVR are gearing up to begin a Kickstarter campaign to fund its hybrid virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) headset, the ANTVR Mix. In advance of this, Zhu Lee of ANTVR’s software product department talks about ANTVR’s work in the VR and AR areas.
ANTVR was founded four years ago in Beijing, dedicated to the development of VR hardware and software. The ANTVR Mixed is the culmination of much research and development towards making a small and light headset that offers a large field-of view.
Zhu Lee confirmed that the ANTVR Mix headset is compatible with Steam VR, which means the huge library of VR titles available on Steam will also be available to play on the ANTVR as mixed reality holograms. Any SteamVR title that has a primary dark background, such as Beat Saber or Tilt Brush can be played on the ANTVR Mix.
Lee said that the current version of the ANTVR Mix headset is best suited towards developers and content creators, as the hybrid AR/VR glasses idea is not one that has been extensively explored with a view to creating videogames and entertainment, so there is much that can be discovered and developed in this idea by creative and flexible developers.
ANTVR is currently focussed on creating AR hardware and software, but are also working on creating its own method of inside-out tracking with SLAM (simultaneous localisation and mapping). The company is working on creating its own controllers and other accessories that will accompany the ANTVR Mix.
The final product which is planned to be available for people who back the Kickstarter campaign will feature this inside-out tracking and will come with controllers and potentially other accessories, depending on how successful the campaign is.
ANTVR are planning on making the headset available to Kickstarter backers by the end of 2018, assuming the Kickstarter is successful. The full interview is available to view below. Keep checking back with VRFocus for more news and interviews from the VR sector.
via Mint VR