What is 6DoF?

The amount of freedom in Virtual Reality decides the immersiveness and the possible ways we can move within the VR space. DoF or degrees of freedom play a critical role in making VR come to life. It refers to the movement of a rigid body in 3-dimensional space. 6DoF considers the user’s head position, head movement, and overall orientation.

6DoF comprises two movement parameters – Translation and Rotation.

1. Translation involves moving along the X, Y and Z axis

Sway: Moving left and right on the x-axis
Heave: Moving up and downward on the y-axis
Surge: Move forward and backward on the z-axis

2. Rotation involves turning to face a different axis

Pitch: Moving between the X and Y-axis.
Yaw: Moving between the X and Z-axis.
Roll: Moving between Z and Y-axis.

The combination of translation and rotation allows the user to walk around freely, view an object from all 360-degree angles, even look at it from a top-down angle or crouch below for a bottom-up view. This freedom to inspect an item enables delivering an immersive VR experience.

The HTC Vive Focus Plus is an improved version of the Vive product that offers users a wireless 6DoF experience and two handheld controllers. You can also experience various virtual environments through VR with Oculus Quest, Quest 2, or Oculus Go. These devices and their systems support 6DoF and allow you to move in multiple directions and even change perspective when you duck. The Oculus Quest 2 is a 6DoF headset that can track hand movements in VR.

Some game simulators for racing or fast-paced games use the 6DoF Motion Platform, which provides an outstanding experience. It can adapt to all motions including, pitch, roll, and heave, while moving in yaw, sway, and surge actions.

With the VRdirect Studio software, 3D models can be easily integrated into 360° videos or photos and explored from all angles. This enables an immersive 6DoF experience on VR headsets.

To explore 3D models in 6DoF, simply download the VRdirect app from your VR headset’s app store and enter the code: f8dd68.

Here you can learn what 3 DoF is: https://www.vrdirect.com/wiki/what-is-3dof/.