Vrgineers Launches XTAL 3 Headset

Vrgineers has launched the XTAL  3 virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) headset to enhance pilot training.

The newest XTAL has been developed in cooperation with a team of international Air Force pilots. Thanks to their input, Vrgineers has unleashed the potential of virtual reality simulations and paves the way for the next generation of MR pilot trainers. The incorporated MR technology allows pilots to see their hands and interact with instrument panels, learn proper motor skills, and practice standard procedures. The basis of this technology embodies two front-facing pass-through high-resolution cameras. The responses of pilots wearing the XTAL 3 in the simulated environment are nearly identical to real situations, teaching the decision-making processes required to gain air superiority. This was achieved thanks to the XTAL 3’s combination of high fidelity with a wide field of view, providing a high level of immersion and situational awareness.

The XTAL 3 offers an extended field of view of 180-degree horizontal and 90-degree vertical, currently the widest visual field on the market for professional simulations.

The combination of the Vrgineers lenses embedded in the XTAL 3, and advanced warping algorithms provide high fidelity undistorted images that can be enhanced by additional corrective lenses inserts. Thanks to this feature, pilots who would normally wear glasses can train without the discomfort of having their nose compressed while seeing a perfect picture. The headset frame is made of lightweight compounds, ensuring comfort, and avoiding neck tension during mission training. The ergonomics were fine-tuned based on feedback from pilots to sustain multiple hours of training.

The company was able to significantly reduce the weight of the unit and equip the XTAL with inside-out tracking. This feature offers a pair of fast-switching infrared cameras positioned on the lower edge under the central cover. The XTAL 3 currently supports inside- out tracking, Optitrack, ART Tracking and Vicon. Vrgineers plans to integrate Lighthouse tracking later this year.

“The central cover of the headset is removable and reconfigurable, making it possible to change the headset from purely virtual to mixed reality, or replace inside-out tracking with ULTRALEAP hand tracking,” said CEO and co-founder Marek Polcak.

Additional functionality, such as an eye-tracking system with one-dot calibration for IPD (inter-pupillary distance) adjustment and foveated rendering are supported as well. The gathered information can be further processed and visualized in heatmaps to be utilized for behavioural analyses.

“Our new one-dot calibration removes the biggest obstacle to the wide adoption of foveated rendering technology. The major bottleneck has always been the time-consuming calibration process necessary before every use of the foveated rendering feature. The XTAL 3 calibration process uses unique one-dot calibration that creates a virtual mathematical model of the user’s face allowing us to calculate precise calibration formulas for eye tracking,” Polcak explains.