VR+cats: not a good mix

VRPT tracker prototype. © Triangular Pixels.

Here you are, wearing your HTC headset and lost in your immersive irreality game, frolicking with pink unicorns in a verdant valley. Suddenly, Whiskers decides he needs human contact, or rather, that you need to be brought back to reality, since it’s time for his Fussy Cat Ultra Premium Wet Food with Chunks, Island Shrimp flavour. Whiskers comes to rub up against your ankles, but you don’t see him approach, since you’re busy dodging unicorns. You artfully sidestep to the left, trip over Whiskers, crash to the ground and all but crush him.

To avoid such cat-astrophes, games developer Katie came up with the VRPT (VR Pet Tracking), a device that lets you bring Whiskers into your VR game. A tracker mounted on his back connects to your headset, allowing you to actually see him in the game. Of course, the tracker can also be mounted on other mammals, such as your dog or your kids. A technological breakthrough that will save lives!

⇨ Triangular Pixels, “Tracker VR.”

⇨ The Verge, “Someone strapped a VR tracker to a cat to play video games with it.”

A ten year-old tomcat is sideswiped by a human wearing a HTC Vive headset. (Screen grab from a YouTube video.)

VRPT tracker prototype. © Triangular Pixels.