Nimble VR’s IR hand tracking technology
Where most other hand-tracking systems require special sensors or markers, Nimble VR’s technology - with its infrared depth-sensing, 110-degree view and extremely accurate skeletal tracking of the hands - is completely glove-free.
While Wang can’t discuss the particulars of his work at Oculus, the original Nimble VR system involves a specialized camera working in conjunction with a laser. Every 20 milliseconds, the camera sends out a signal, which bounces back off of objects. The camera data allows the system to not only track the user’s hands, but detect objects’ positions, shapes and movements, creating a point cloud of the world around the user.
Wang founded the company in 2012 with Kenrick Kin and Chris Twigg, two computer scientists from UC-Berkeley and Carnegie Mellon. According to Wang, joining Oculus has relieved him of a lot of the pressures of being part of a startup, like having to move fast and raise funds.
See the full story here: http://www.csail.mit.edu/This_MIT_PhD_has_his_fingers_on_the_pulse_of_virtual-reality%20