RIVER Lab/Legacy
The Radboud Immersive Virtual Environment Research (RIVER) Labs are two Behavioral Science Institute research labs dedicated to experiments in Virtual Reality (VR). However, in 2013 it was decided to make RIVER Lab 1 available for other purposes as well, promoting RIVER Lab 2 as the prime facility for any VR research. The RIVER Labs are managed by Erik van den Berge of the TSG.
 RIVER Lab 2 in 2015 | |
| Location | B.00.12a (RIVER Lab 1), B.00.10 (RIVER Lab 2) |
|---|---|
| Manuals | |
Physical Properties
|
| |
|---|---|---|
| RIVER Lab 1 | RIVER Lab 2 | |
| Room Properties | ||
| Room Number | B.00.12a | B.00.10 |
| Room Size[1] (m) | 4.0 * 8.0 | 5.0 * 7.2 |
Equipment
Both RIVER labs come with special equipment for creating a digital immersive virtual environment. The following specifications apply to the current lab setup, operational since January 2014. For older specifications, please contact the lab manager.
| RIVER Lab 1 | RIVER Lab 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking | ||
| Tracking System | Intersense IS-900 | AR-Tracking ARTTRACK3 |
| Type | Inertial-Ultrasound Hybrid | Optical, 16 Cameras |
| Accuracy (mm) | 0.75 - 3.0 | <1.0 |
| Update Rate (Hz) | 180 | 60 |
| Tracking Software | Intersense Server | AR-Tracking DTrack 2.0 |
| Tracker Type | Inertial-Ultrasound Hybrid Sensor | Passive retro-reflective markers |
| Virtual Reality | ||
| Wireless VR | No | Yes |
| Stimulus PC | Dell Precision T3610 | See below |
| Stimulus Software | Worldviz Vizard 4.0, Unity | |
Head Mounted Displays
| Nvis Nvisor SX60 | Oculus Rift Dev. Kit 1 | HTC Vive | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In service | 2006 - October 2013 | November 2013 - 2017 | November 2016 - |
In RIVER Lab 2, five retro-reflective markers are attached to the Head Mounted Display (except HTC Vive) via a custom 3D-printed frame for tracking the participant's position and orientation; any internal tracking in the HMD is disabled.
Vive
As of November 2016, standard HTC Vive setups are available in both RIVER Labs. These setups use the Vive's own "Lighthouse" tracking system instead of the lab's, and a standard Lab Computer (with upgraded graphics card). No wireless solution is available for the Vive (yet), so the tracking area is limited by the length of the cable and the range of the Lighthouse tracking system. As of September 2017, the Vive in RIVER Lab 2 has been equipped with the Deluxe Audio Strap, which has built-in headphones.
Stimulus PC (RIVER Lab 2)
| |
|---|---|
| Central Processing Unit (CPU) | Intel Core i7-4770K |
| Memory | 16GB 1600Mhz DDR3 |
| Chipset | Intel Z87 |
| Audio Chip | Realtek ALC1150 |
| Network Controller | Intel I217V + Realtek 8111GR (Dual Gigabit Ethernet) |
| Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) | Nvidia GeForce GTX780 |
| Storage | Samsung SSD 840 EVO, 128GB |
Other Equipment
In RIVER Lab 2, the following equipment is used to help create a fully wireless, low latency virtual reality experience (applies to Oculus DK1 only!):
- IOGear GW3DHDKIT wireless HDMI transmitter.[2]
- Anker Astro Pro 14400mAh external battery.[3]
- Sennheiser RS160 wireless headphones.[4]