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Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality

Ever worked on the hardware side of AR/VR?
Have you ever implemented optical tracking using IR LEDs controlled by a microcontroller?
Synchronized with optical tracking cameras that are only light‑sensitive for a tiny fraction of time—just long enough to “see” them?
Destroyed hundreds of IR LEDs while building prototypes… along with a few microcontrollers?
And seriously asked yourself: Do I really have to pay for all of this myself?

Ever implemented a digital PID algorithm… and immediately exceeded the chip’s flash size? Did I really write 1,000 lines of assembly code?
How much does the next‑larger chip cost—and do I now have to redesign the PCB layout?
Finally managed to get the thermal drift of the tracking camera under control?
Selected the most suitable temperature sensor after extensive testing?
Everything working smoothly...
Except for that exponential temperature compensation curve — turns out tuning it just right isn’t that easy.

Ever switched over to the software side of Virtual Reality for a moment? And implemented a finger‑tracking algorithm?
Of course! Even stranger: using algorithms from database lectures to do it.
Knowledge Discovery in Databases says hello ;-)

What if the active optical targets (IR LEDs) could “communicate” with the VR tracking algorithm? Do you suddenly need a microcontroller running embedded Linux?
Nope — not necessarily! Just order an Ethernet‑to‑RS232 adapter and read the serial interface fast enough.
Turn off the lights (literally), so the tracking algorithm can “find” the target again.

And what about you... what have you been working on?...