Juggling Videos: Virtual Reality vs My Reality

Recently, I watched Virtual Reality game developer, Steve Bowler, use Juggling to demonstrate the accuracy of a VR headset and some VR tracking devices. These VR tracking devices, known as Trackers, enable real objects to be tracked in virtual environments. 

Watch his Trackers video here:

How accurate are the @htcvive and the Trackers?

This accurate. pic.twitter.com/DbiLGKiuvi

— Steve Bowler (@gameism) March 28, 2017

Steve's video is split into 3 screens. In the large screen, we can see Steve put on the VR headset and juggle 3 Trackers in the real world. In the smaller top-right screen, we have a view of the virtual world that Steve sees. In the smaller bottom-right screen, we have a view of the real world captured by a small camera mounted on the VR headset.

Source: https://twitter.com/gameism/status/846810493994123267

In the video, Steve wears the VR headset so he can only see the virtual Trackers that he's juggling in the virtual environment (presented by the VR headset). Steve cannot actually see the real Trackers that he's juggling in the real world. 

Steve is able to juggle the 3 virtual Trackers in the virtual environment because these Trackers can be tracked accurately by the VR system used by Steve. In other words, the VR system can accurately track the spatial positions, movements, and other parameters of the Trackers.

Of course, Steve is able to demonstrate this experiment because, to begin with, he can actually juggle in the real world. What he has cleverly shown in the video is the capability of this particular VR system - the actual Trackers are represented in the virtual environment with a high degree of accuracy.

My Reality

I was fascinated with what Steve did in his video. Steve performed a real juggle of real objects that he couldn't actually see; what he thought he saw were actually virtual reproductions of those objects set in a virtual environment. Seeing the virtual Trackers helped Steve to know where the real Trackers were and so juggle them (the real Trackers).

Then I recollected a juggling stunt that I did a few years ago in a video. I didn't use a VR headset. Instead, I placed a bucket over my head! With my sense of sight really blocked, I juggled 3 balls (for real). This is what is known as Juggling Blind. So how does one juggle without being able to see? With my vision blocked completely by the bucket, I relied on my sense of touch and spatial awareness. Here's my video:

Thank you for watching!