During my summer internship for the College of Technology, I embarked on an exciting journey to create a precision hand tracker for virtual reality environments. This project aligned with the next steps for the IT3D project to make VR interactions more immersive for students. The objective was to design a controller that could accurately track analog hand movements and convert them into a digital representation within the Unity 3D engine. This project aimed to enhance the interactivity of VR environments by enabling users to interact with 3D models through precise hand movements.
Purpose
The primary goal was to develop a hand controller equipped with multiple potentiometers to track finger movements. These movements were sent through a microcontroller, which converted the analog signals into digital data. This digital data was then processed by a computer and transposed onto a 3D hand model in Unity 3D. To improve efficiency, custom circuit boards were designed to handle the analog-to-digital conversion more effectively, utilizing multiplexing to reduce latency and allow for future scalability.
Research Objectives
- Defining the Project Scope:
- Outlining the project scope and determining achievable goals within the summer months.
- Planning and sourcing the necessary components for the hand controller.
- Developing 3D Models:
- Utilizing Blender 2.8 to create 3D models for the hand controller components.
- Designing joint levers for tracking individual finger joints and creating the mounting plate and microcontroller casing.
- Creating the 3D Environment:
- Developing a 3D environment in Unity 3D that the hand controller could interact with.
- Rigging and UV unwrapping a 3D hand model to be controlled by finger placements.
- Implementing Unity’s HDRP render pipeline for realistic lighting and reflections.
- Assembling the Hand Controller:
- Soldering and assembling the final product, attaching all components to a glove.
- Establishing the link between the microcontroller and Unity 3D to track and display finger movements on the 3D hand model.
Highlights
- Custom Circuit Boards: Designed for efficient analog-to-digital conversion, reducing latency and enabling future scalability.
- 3D Modeling: Created detailed models in Blender 2.8 for the hand controller components and the interactive environment.
- Advanced Rendering: Leveraged Unity’s HDRP render pipeline to achieve realistic lighting and reflections in the 3D environment.
- Hands-on Assembly: Assembled and soldered the final hand controller, integrating it seamlessly with Unity 3D.
Conclusion
This project was a remarkable learning experience that combined hardware and software development to create an interactive VR controller. By successfully tracking and digitizing hand movements, we enhanced the immersive experience of virtual reality environments. This project demonstrated my ability to manage complex tasks, from circuit design to 3D modeling and software integration, paving the way for future innovations in VR technology.