# 162: I Am a Boomerang Enthusiast

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2016-07-26
- Length: 1h 21m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-07-26-162-i-am-a-boomerang-enthusiast
- Listen: https://makingembeddedsystems.libsyn.com/162-i-am-a-boomerang-enthusiast

## Summary

Alan Yates, a hardware engineer at Valve responsible for the Vive tracking system, explains the Lighthouse optical tracking technology, which uses spinning mirrors and infrared lasers to achieve sub-millimeter precision. He details the engineering challenges of combining high-frequency IMU data with lower-frequency optical updates using Kalman filters, and discusses the decision to use ST and NXP Cortex-M0 microcontrollers for the 'Watchman' receivers. The conversation covers the transition from 3D-printed prototypes to mass-produced base stations, the importance of hackability, and the community's reverse engineering efforts.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-07-26-162-i-am-a-boomerang-enthusiast#t=6) Introduction: Alan Yates and Valve's Vive VR System
- [1:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-07-26-162-i-am-a-boomerang-enthusiast#t=112) Lightning Round: Components, Tools, and Science Fiction
- [7:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-07-26-162-i-am-a-boomerang-enthusiast#t=454) Vive System Overview: Tracking, Controllers, and Immersion
- [11:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-07-26-162-i-am-a-boomerang-enthusiast#t=666) Challenges: Latency, GPU Power, and Motion Sickness
- [17:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-07-26-162-i-am-a-boomerang-enthusiast#t=1056) Tracking Evolution: From IMU Drift to Lighthouse Optical Systems
- [24:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-07-26-162-i-am-a-boomerang-enthusiast#t=1441) Lighthouse Technology: Spinning Mirrors, Lasers, and Detectors
- [44:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-07-26-162-i-am-a-boomerang-enthusiast#t=2672) Prototyping and Manufacturing: From 3D Prints to Precision Assembly
- [50:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-07-26-162-i-am-a-boomerang-enthusiast#t=3048) Sensor Fusion: IMU, Optical Updates, and Kalman Filters
- [56:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-07-26-162-i-am-a-boomerang-enthusiast#t=3372) Microcontrollers: ST and NXP Cortex-M0 Selection and Firmware
- [1:01:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-07-26-162-i-am-a-boomerang-enthusiast#t=3710) Connectivity: USB HID, Latency, and Auxiliary Ports
- [1:06:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-07-26-162-i-am-a-boomerang-enthusiast#t=4009) Hackability, Reverse Engineering, and Future Reference Designs

## Topics

- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Open-source hardware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/open-source-hardware)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Valve (company)
- HTC Vive (product)
- Lighthouse (product)
- iFixit (company)
- Doc OK (other)
- nairol (other)
- Trammell Hudson (other)
- SparkleTree (other)
- Make Magazine (other)
- Oculus Rift (product)
- ST Cortex-M0 (chip)
- NXP Cortex-M0 (chip)
- Kalman filter (tool)
- Unity (tool)
- Steam VR (product)

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- [Ep059: Hydraulic Rockets & Presses, Machine Vision Bounces & Stares, Smart Speakers Listen to You](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2020-03-19-ep059-hydraulic-rockets-presses-machine-vision-bounces-stares-smart-speakers-lis) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [Garbage Ninjas](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-08-28-garbage-ninjas) (The Amp Hour)
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- [Building AR Headsets with Aedan Cullen](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-07-09-building-ar-headsets-with-aedan-cullen) (The Amp Hour)

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