VR Demoing

I was invited to a cool bar to demo Flotilla 2 – it had a great turnout, and the venue was wonderful. I met a lot of great folks, and as usual with events like this, there was a metric ton of helpful feedback on the build.

I’ve done a fair amount of expos/conferences/showings for my past projects. VR demoing, however, is a whole other ball of wax. I found the sheer amount of equipment and logistics to be really demanding.

I wrote a list of what I ended up bringing. There are parts that are probably specific to my Vive setup, so your results may vary!

VR EQUIPMENT LIST

• Folding card table to hold the television, computer, etc.
• Painter’s tape to mark boundaries, starting position, line management, etc.
• Speakers for audio.
• Water bottle so you don’t die.
• Power strips.
• Extension cables.
• Velcro cable ties to prevent spaghetti hell.
• Spare shirt if you become a sweat monster during equipment setup (like me).
• Light fixture with a clamp to illuminate specific things.
• Tiny notebook and pen to keep notes during the night.
• Television to show onlookers what the player is currently seeing.
  • DVI/HDMI/etc cable to connect PC to the television.
  • Signage to attach to the television.
  • FAQ signage to answer basic stuff.
  • Double-sided tape for the signage.
• Computer that runs the VR build.
  • Keyboard.
  • Mouse.
  • Power cord.
• Vive link box for the Vive setup.
  • The link box cables.
  • C-clamp to keep the link box nice and stationary.
  • A chunk of fabric so that the c-clamp doesn’t muss up the link box.
• Vive controllers for the Vive setup.
  • Controller charging cable in case a controller needs charging.
• Vive lighthouses for the Vive setup.
  • Power cables for the lighthouses.
  • Photography light stands to hold the lighthouses.
  • Attachment mount for the lighthouse to attach to.
  • Zip ties to strap the mounts to the light stands.
  • Scissors/blade to cut the zip ties.
• Vive headset for the Vive setup.
  • Moist wipes to clean the headset after each player.
  • Lens cloth to clean the lenses if they get smudgey.
    

Things went well. The build ran smoothly, and nothing exploded. The one thing I’d add to this list is signage for the lighthouse poles: “Please don’t jiggle this!!!”