Virtual Reality
Overview
Virtual Sandtray is in the beta phase of product development, which means that it is available for testing. It has been demonstrated at professional conferences and used by clients.
Virtual Reality
Extending Virtual Sandtray into virtual reality seemed a logical step with quality consumer hardware becoming available part way through 2016. A development decision had to be made prior to transition from iPad to VR on a PC, with the HTC Vive being chosen as the first VR headset that the program utilizes.
Seeing that VR can be considered in its infancy, we were pleasantly surprised at the outcome of the product. It is incredible to actually be in the tray and experience the sense of immersion that comes from it. The professionals and clients that have tried it have found it to be amazing.
In the summer of 2020, a complete rewrite of the virtual reality version of Virtual Sandtray was begun. This was necessitated by changes in technology, development environment and headsets. The HTC Vive is great setup, but making the application work on devices that are more portable, like the Oculus Rift S, was a necessary decision to allow Virtual Sandtray VR to be used in more settings and locations.
Videos
Our YouTube channel hosts several videos demonstrating the evolution and feature of the product. Do note that they are 2D captures of a 3D product.
- Early development video
- Alpha level product
- Beta product (post APT2016 in Kentucky)
- Features
- A development helper, Meatball, chasing the mouse cursor
Availability
Virtual Sandtray is a working product and ready for testing/research. Please contact us to discuss further.
VR Headsets
Virtual Sandtray was initially ported from iPad to VR utilizing the HTC Vive. This was due to testing of both headsets at a psychology conference. I liked the Vive better and so did the kids.
As of July 2017, Oculus Rift headsets and their touch controllers went on sale for an extremely competitive price. Due to this fact, development of a version that will work with the Oculus Rift headset will be evaluated. Although Rift is cheaper, you will need to purchase more hardware to make it function in a manner similar to Vive in regards to room scale. Then comes the setup, which is a nightmare compared to Vive. Based on these facts, an exact date us unknown and this site will be updated with information as development progresses.
The current development and testing VR headset utilized is the Oculus Rift S. It utilizes inside-out tracking. The setup consists of just the headset and two controllers – no base stations. Continued work with the Rift S keeps us more in line what our end users would choose for a setup.
Please contact us for further discussion and/or questions.
PC Hardware
The hardware requirements for running VR on a PC are steep: it is something you do right or don’t do at all. Unless you have a heavy duty gamer in the family, you will not have the level of PC necessary to run VR. There are various specifications for a PC to meet the specification to run VR. A couple are provided on the right for you to examine. You can buy VR ready machines from the some PC stores or online vendors. We chose to build our own in desktop format, as it offers the best value, allows it to be tailor made and it is enjoyable. There are also laptops that are able to run VR and they are not generally cheap.
If you have questions, you may also contact us and we can provide guidance.