HTC has announced a new set of trackers for its Vive virtual reality headsets, including one that captures facial expressions and mouth movements. The $ 129.99 Vive Facial Tracker connects to the Vive Pro headset. It uses two cameras and an infrared illuminator to record the movements of the lips, cheeks and jaw, and then translates it into virtual facial expressions. HTC says the product is “coming soon”.
HTC unveiled an experimental VR facial tracker in 2019 and tasted the product earlier this week on Twitter. Some developers, like the creators of the social space Neos VR, worked with the tool. To date, however, HTC has not confirmed a broad commercial launch. The Face Tracker supports 38 different facial movements and users can also combine it with Vive Pro Eye, a variant of Vive Pro with integrated eye tracking. This could effectively translate most of a user’s face into an avatar or a motion capture system.
There is also a new third generation version of HTC’s general-purpose VR tracker. Palm-sized tracking discs are 33% smaller and 15% lighter than the last generation, and HTC promises a 75% increase in battery life. They will also be released “soon” for $ 129.99. Depending on the exact date, they may end up competing with the next Tundra Tracker – a smaller SteamVR-based alternative that is due out this summer.
These HTC modules offer accurate tracking for parts of the body that standard VR headset sensors do not capture. Several social VR experiences, for example, already estimate the movement of people’s lips based on the sound of their voice. But the new facial tracker can directly capture how their faces move, reflecting expressions like smiles and frowns. Likewise, VR trackers can be attached to custom controllers or strapped to people’s legs or feet – which usually receive rudimentary animation or are not shown in VR.
Unfortunately, the facial tracker apparently has limited compatibility. It is listed as operating with the professional-grade Vive Pro line, but not the latest, consumer-oriented Vive Cosmos. As a VR developer Olivier JT’s notes on Twitter, it also doesn’t seem to support Valve’s Index, a state-of-the-art headset whose hardware configuration overlaps that of the Vive Pro.
Despite this, facial tracking can become an increasingly important part of the VR of the current generation. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said earlier this week that Facebook’s VR division, Oculus, will prioritize capturing eye movements and facial expressions on future hardware, as well as launching more realistic virtual avatars.