NOLO

Intro

Priced at only USD99, NOLO offers an immersive virtual reality experience to mobile and SteamVR gamers without paying astronomical prices. A brainchild project by LYRobotix,NOLO comes in the form of a headset marker, base station and a couple of controllers to work with your Android powered VR headset.

Expected to ship at least 100 units in May, 2017, NOLO has managed to receive more than $190,000 in their Kickstarter campaign in their bid to offer high-quality immersive experience in the VR world.

Features

The core technology that is poised to make this a serious contender in the VR industry is PolarTraq. This motion tracking technology that made it an ideal VR solution with high affordability, low power consumption, and high portability. NOLO’s PolarTraq technology that is found in the palm-sized base station. This technology allows high accuracy tracking of less than 2mm by fusing optic, acoustic and radio signals.

Hardware

NOLO comes in a packaged set of 2 controllers, headset marker, base station, charging cable, USB cables for SteamVR and MobileVR and 2 headset marker mounts.

The headset features a calibration sensor and a tracking sensor that delivers 6DoF motion tracking with less than 20ms latency.

The base station covered a tracking range of 13ft x 13ft and with a tracking precision of less than 2mm.

The dual controllers that operate on 60Hz are equipped with tracking sensors, touch pad, triggers and buttons to deliver true immersive interaction.

Technical Specifications

Base Station Size : 78mm x 44.4mm x 76.15mm Weight : 160g Charge Time : 4h Battery Life : 4h

Headset Marker Size : 138.8mm x 44.8mm Weight : 60g

Controllers Size : 151.3mm x 40mm x 43.3mm Weight :90g Charge Time : 2h Battery Life : 7h

Tracking Range : 13ft x 13ft Tracking Latency : < 20ms Tracking Precision : < 2mm Tracking Frequency : 60Hz

Software

NOLO can be used with native mobile VR games. However, playing SteamVR games with NOLO will require users to install Riftcat program on their PC and downloading the VRidge app to stream SteamVR games to their mobile.

Apps

Tilt Brush, Job Simulator Space Pirate Trainer

Developer

A glance at NOLO’s Kickstarter page shows that SDK and support for Unreal and Unity will be released soon.

An iOS SDK will also be released for developers to work on mobile VR games on the iOS platform.

Background

Originally conceived as an indoor positioning technology for drone navigation in weak GPS signal environment, NOLO was born after one of LYRobotix team members hooked up PolarTraq and Oculus DK2 resulting in a truly immersive experience.

Lead by DaoNing Zhang, CEO of LYRobotix, NOLO is poised to be a very much cheaper alternative to experience SteamVR compatible titles in line with their vision of providing a fully immersive Mobile VR input device for the whole industry.

History

Apr, 2015, LYRobotix Founded June,2015, angel investors funding Nov, 2015, PolarTraq Spatial Positioning Technology, completed and verified. Jan, 2016 - Acquired Series A funding. Nov, 2016 - Completed R&D of NOLO Developer Kit Jan,2017 - Launch Kickstarter campaign.

References

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