Glasses-free 3D using webcam head tracking

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/tools/camera/vr-without-glasses-for-webgl-332314

29•il_nets•4d ago

Comments

il_nets•4d ago

Hi HN, I'm Sten, one of the creators.

We built this because we wanted 3D experiences without needing a VR headset. The approach: use your webcam to track where you're looking, and adjust the 3D perspective to match.

Demo: https://portality.io/dragoncourtyard/ (Allow camera, move your head left/right)

It creates motion parallax - the same depth cue your brain uses when you look around a real object. Feels like looking through a window instead of at a flat screen.

Known limitations: - Only works for one viewer at a time - Needs decent lighting - Currently WebGL only

We're still figuring out where this is genuinely useful vs just a novelty. Gaming seems promising, also exploring education and product visualization.

Happy to answer questions!

jampekka•2h ago

The demo gives just a blank screen on Android Firefox, Kiwi and Chrome.

kgarten•2h ago

It works for me, just needs a time to load.

aname2•2h ago

how long on what internet connection? i m on 1min and counting on 50mbit. but maybe it doesnt work on ubuntu 24 + firefox? should be webgl capable though.

ok took around 2min for me to load, then works.

jampekka•1h ago

Ah, thanks! Got it now on a better connection. A loading indicator would ease confusion.

socalgal2•2h ago

I don't know if you designed it for a specific monitor but, feedback. It tried using it on my M1 Mac.

First thing, there is no loading indicator and it takes too long to start so I though it was broken a few times before I realized I had to wait longer.

Second thing, although it was clearly tracking my head and moving the camera it did not make me feel like I'm looking into a window into a 3d scene behind the monitor.

These kinds of demos have been around before. I don't know why some work better than others.

some others:

https://discourse.threejs.org/t/parallax-effect-using-face-t... https://www.anxious-bored.com/blog/2018/2/25/theparallaxview...

president_zippy•1h ago

It was definitely useful and appreciated on the "New" Nintendo 3DS XL, which also used a camera to track your eye movements and adjust the divergence accordingly. I hate the fact that Nintendo abandoned this technology because experiencing Ocarina of Time and Star Fox 64 in 3D was world-changing to me.

I'd say I'm not the only one who misses this technology in games, because a used New 3DS XL costs at least $200 on eBay right now, which is more than what I paid new.

I always thought 3D would combine really nicely with a ray traced graphics full of bright colors and reflections, similar to all those ray tracing demos with dozens of glossy marbles.

AuryGlenz•1h ago

Samsung recently released a monitor with similar technology, I believe, as a FYI.

bigyabai•1h ago

The technology is still alive and well in some genres, particularly flight sims. One common free solution is to run OpenTrack with the included neural net webcam tracker, which plugs into TrackIR-enabled apps and works like a charm.

aname2•2h ago

really fancy idea and cool project! Its a bit stuttery probably due to the 30fps of a webcam but works. Feels slightly weird somehow though, probably from the lag.

update: just tried to open the site again now and its gone but leads to some kind of shop?

update2: oh use the link in the comment for the demo: https://portality.io/dragoncourtyard/

brenschluss•1h ago

BTW, the OG demo from Johnny Lee is from 2007: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd3-eiid-Uw

poglet•17m ago

Thanks for posting, I was sure I recalled something like this form a long time ago. I also build my self a FreeTrack headset (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FreeTrack) around this same time to play the Arma / Operating Flashpoint games using IR LED's attached to a hat that my webcam would track.

xandman•6m ago

Yeah, this came out during the last few weeks of my time in high school. It is a major reason I got into computer science and became a programmer. Good Times!

epaga•1h ago

Interestingly, for this parallax 3D effect to work, the head tracking needs to basically move "backwards" from typical head tracking since it needs to keep the focal point the same, if I'm understanding correctly. Any time I've tried this out it's fun and would likely be most useful for something like a 3D painting you hang on your wall.

Related idea, but not the same, might be my iOS and Android app that uses your phone's AR for head tracking and then sends that data to your PC for smooth sim game head tracking. https://smoothtrack.app

mrheosuper•1h ago

Is this similar to sony spatial 3d display ?

rspoerri•1h ago

From my experience this only ever looks good in a recorded video. Because we are used to assume that the real object captured within the video is perceivable in a stereoscopic form. But it‘s not. The real usage of head and viewtracking is as a controller, not to improve immersion.

rullelito•1h ago

Drawback is that it only works if you constantly move your head or device.

quitit•15m ago

Reminds me of the Amazon Fire phone which featured similar tech prominently. "Dynamic perspective".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6trOg2IK2Zg

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Glasses-free 3D using webcam head tracking

Comments

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