Vectorix: A Low-Tech Mechanical Tracking System

We introduce a simple mechanical three degree of freedom tracking system, which is based on the idea of a spherical coordinate system. Our system measures two angular coordinates and the length of a string. This information is used to compute three-dimensional Cartesian coordinates, which are typically used in virtual environment applications.
 

We integrated this idea of a three-dimensional position tracker into two different setups. Our first setup is a free standing device with a tracked handle. The handle is attached to a separate tracking unit at each end, which provides us with a total of five degrees of freedom. Our second version uses a single tracking unit attached to the shoulder of a user. The string is attached to the wrist of the interacting hand. This setup provides body-referenced three-degrees of freedom tracking, which could be used for HMD-based systems.

Take a look at the development of Vectorix