Extending Unit XR Toolkit Functionality with Hand Tracking Teleportation

Unit XR Toolkit provides an easy-to-use solution for developers to implement hand tracking in their Unity projects. However, it does have limitations when it comes to customizing certain functionalities. One such limitation is the ability to activate teleportation only with controllers. In this article, we will explore how to extend the Unit XR Toolkit's functionality to enable teleportation activation using both controllers and hand tracking.

Teleportation Activation Using Controllers

The Unit XR Toolkit provides a built-in mechanism for activating teleportation using controllers. This is achieved through the use of specific events, such as button presses or trigger pulls, which are detected by the toolkit's event system. However, this approach does not allow for hand tracking activation out-of-the-box.

Extending Teleportation Activation Using Hand Tracking

To extend the teleportation activation to include hand tracking, we need to tap into the toolkit's event system and override certain functionalities. This can be achieved by creating a custom script that listens for specific events triggered by hand poses or finger shapes.

Creating a Custom Hand Pose

To create a custom hand pose, we need to define the specific finger shapes and palm directions that will trigger the teleportation activation. This can be achieved by creating a new hand shape asset in Unity.

• Create a new hand shape asset in Unity.
• Define the specific finger shapes and palm directions that will trigger the teleportation activation.

Creating a Custom Hand Pose Detector

To detect the custom hand pose, we need to create a script that listens for events triggered by the hand pose. This script will then activate or deactivate the teleportation functionality accordingly.

• Create a new script in Unity.
• Use the Unit XR Toolkit's API to listen for events triggered by the custom hand pose.
• Activate or deactivate the teleportation functionality based on the detected hand pose.

Prioritizing Interactors Using Nixar Interaction Group

To ensure that only one interactor is active at a time, we need to use the Unit XR Toolkit's Nixar Interaction Group component. This component allows us to prioritize interactors and ensure that they do not conflict with each other.

Configuring Nixar Interaction Group

To configure the Nixar Interaction Group, we need to add the teleportation interactor to the list of prioritized interactors. This will ensure that the teleportation functionality is only active when the custom hand pose is detected.

Testing and Debugging

Once we have extended the teleportation activation to include hand tracking, we need to test and debug our implementation. This will ensure that the functionality works as expected and does not introduce any conflicts or issues.

Conclusion

In this article, we explored how to extend the Unit XR Toolkit's functionality to enable teleportation activation using both controllers and hand tracking. By creating a custom hand pose detector and prioritizing interactors using Nixar Interaction Group, we can provide users with a seamless and intuitive experience.

Teleportation is the hypothetical transfer of matter from one location to another without crossing the space in between. While it may sound like science fiction, scientists have been exploring the concept of teleportation for decades.

The idea of teleportation dates back to ancient mythology and folklore. However, the modern concept of teleportation gained significant attention in the mid-20th century with the development of quantum mechanics.

In the 1960s and 1970s, physicists such as Albert Einstein and Nathan Rosen proposed theories about wormholes and shortcuts through space-time. These ideas sparked interest in the possibility of faster-than-light travel and teleportation.

Teleportation, in the context of quantum mechanics, relies on a phenomenon called entanglement. When two particles are entangled, their properties become connected in such a way that the state of one particle is instantly affected by the state of the other, regardless of the distance between them.

In theory, if two particles are entangled and separated, measuring the state of one particle can instantaneously determine the state of the other. This phenomenon has been experimentally confirmed in various studies.

• Unity 2019.3 or later
• Unity XR Toolkit package installed
• A supported VR/AR device (e.g., Oculus Quest, Vive Pro)
• C# programming skills

1. Create a new Unity project and add the XR Toolkit package.
2. Set up your VR/AR device and ensure it is properly configured in the Unity editor.
3. Create a new script (e.g., HandTrackingTeleportation.cs) and attach it to a GameObject in your scene.
4. In the script, use the XR Toolkit's hand tracking API to access the user's hand poses and movements.
5. Implement teleportation logic using raycasting or other spatial awareness techniques.
6. Test and refine your implementation as needed.

using UnityEngine.XR.Interaction.Toolkit;

public class HandTrackingTeleportation : MonoBehaviour
{
  // Reference to the XR Interaction Manager
  public XRRig rig;

  // Teleportation distance (in meters)
  public float teleportDistance = 2.0f;

  void Update()
  {
    // Get the user's hand poses and movements
    var leftHandPose = rig.leftHand.pose;
    var rightHandPose = rig.rightHand.pose;

    // Perform raycasting to determine the teleportation target location
    RaycastHit hit;
    if (Physics.Raycast(leftHandPose.position, leftHandPose.forward, out hit, teleportDistance))
    {
      // Teleport the user's hand to the target location
      rig.leftHand.transform.position = hit.point;
    }

    // Repeat for right hand
  }
}

• Unity 2019.3 or later
• Unity XR Toolkit package installed
• Hand tracking device (e.g. Oculus Quest, Vive Pro)

• HandTrackingController: Responsible for managing hand tracking data and sending it to the teleportation system.
• : Handles user teleportation in the virtual environment based on hand gestures.
• : Manages input from the hand tracking device and sends it to the HandTrackingController.

• Pinch: Triggers teleportation to the target location.
• Grab: Activates the teleportation mode, allowing users to select a target location.
• Release: Deactivates the teleportation mode.

• Distance: Calculates the distance between the user's current location and the target location.
• Collision Detection: Checks for collisions with objects in the virtual environment to ensure safe teleportation.

• XRCameraRig: Manages the camera rig and provides hand tracking data.
• XRController: Handles input from the hand tracking device.