Vrgineers Partners on MR Tracking System for Future Pilot Training

Vrgineers and Advanced Realtime Tracking are combining the XTAL 3 headset and SMARTTRACK3/M in a mixed reality (MR) pilot trainer. The partnership between these two technological companies started in 2018, and ever since, they have supported each other's products in the niche market. At IT2EC 2023 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the integrated SMARTTRACK3/M into an F-35-like Classroom Trainer manufactured and delivered to the United Stated Air Force and Royal Air Force, will be for display.

This combination of the latest ART infrared all-in-one hardware and Vrgineers’ algorithms for cockpit motion compensation creates an unseen immersion for every mixed reality training. One of the challenges in next-generation pilot training using virtual technology and motion platforms is the alignment of the pilot's position in the cockpit. By overcoming this issue, the simulator industry is moving forward to eliminate the disadvantages of simulated training.

"We are continuously working on removing the technological challenges of modern simulators, one of which is caused by front-facing camera position distance from users' eyes. We are developing advanced algorithms for motion compensation to minimize the shift between virtual and physical scene, making experience realistic," says Marek Polcak, CEO of Vrgineers, and adds:   "The durability and compact size of SMARTTRACK3/M, which was optimized for using in cockpits, allows us as training device integrator to make it a comprehensive part of a simulation, increasing convenience of its daily usage."

SMARTTRACK3/M is a fully capable 6DOF system that provides real-time transitional and rotational data up to 240Hz. All the data motion and rotation calculations are performed by the SMARTTRACK3/M device itself, easing the computer performance, which can be utilized to run more graphically demanding applications. Thanks to its ethernet connection, it offloads USB traffic, often overloaded when using high-resolution mixed reality cameras.

"This is the application SMARTTRACK3/M was designed for," says Andreas Werner, business development manager for simulations at ART. "We have taken the proven hardware from the SMARTTRACK3 and adapted it to the limited space available. As a result, we have the precision and the reliability of a seasoned system in a form factor fitting to simulator cockpits".

To learn more. visit Vrgineers at booth #A31-A33 at IT2EC in Rotterdam from 24-26. April 2023.