Quantitative evaluation of the HTC Vive virtual reality system in controlled movement.

Modern virtual reality systems enable users to be immersed in a virtual world. Validation of the HTC Vive will assure users and developers that games and applications made for the system are accurate representations of the real world. Here, both the translational and rotational capabilities of the HTC Vive are investigated using a robotic arm and an optoelectronic motion capture system. It was found that the average difference between reported translational distances traveled was 0.74 millimeters with an interquartile range (IQR) of 0.66 millimeters for all room-scale calibration trials and 0.63 millimeters with an IQR of 0.29 millimeters for all standing calibration trials. The mean difference in angle rotated was 0.46° with an IQR of 0.81° for all room-scale calibration trials and 0.54° with an IQR of 0.62° for all standing calibration trials. Overall, the HTC Vive shows promise as a tool for clinic, research, and industry.