VIVERSE Shows Full-Body Tracking for VTubers at MWC [2024]

"Hi Diva, I'd like to interview you about your experience at MWC 2024. Of course, we'll wait until you're back from Barcelona," I messaged, attaching the interview outline. Diva, a short video creator known as "Diva the Dancer," agreed promptly. Lesser known is her role as a visual designer for the Postwave team at HTC, where she also manages the HTC VIVE TikTok channel (follow us here). She has produced numerous viral videos, often incorporating VR dancing and VTuber elements. This time, she represented the Postwave team at MWC 2024 in Barcelona, drawing considerable attention with her full-body tracking demonstrations. Let's get to the interview without further ado!

@htc_vive Dance show alert at #htcvive booth😎 #MWC2024 #barcelona #fullbodytracking ♬ 原聲 - HTC VIVE

Q: Hi, Diva, welcome back! Can you give us a quick overview of what your role was at MWC this time? 

My main task at MWC 2024 was showcasing the integration achievements of the VIVE Ultimate Tracker with VIVERSE, essential for full-body tracking. We utilized dance as a means to demonstrate these capabilities. 

I held two controllers in my hands, wore a VIVE XR Elite, and had three VIVE Ultimate Trackers attached—one on my waist and two on my ankles. These five points accurately tracked my movements.

For the demo, I performed a three-minute dance routine in VR to showcase the synchronized movements between the avatar and me. The audience watched the comparison between the avatar and my real-time dance moves against a backdrop of music and on a large screen wall.

Q: It was in real-time, right?

Yes, absolutely.

Q: How many performances did you give?

Well, the exhibition lasted four days, with the last day being shorter, ending in the afternoon. I danced every hour on the hour, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., like a cuckoo clock, performing a three-minute VR dance each time.

Q: During your dance performances, did anything unexpected happen?

While wearing the XR Elite, I could see my avatar's first-person view. There was a mirror inside so that I could observe my own movements. Since I couldn't see the outside world, I would scope out the stage space before starting. Usually, there weren't many people watching initially. After dancing for three minutes, I would switch to the passthrough mode by double-tapping on the VIVE XR Elite, which turned it into MR. Then I realized that many people were taking photos and recording videos—mostly guys, a bunch of them filming me.

It wasn't until the end of my performance that I saw how many spectators had gathered. Seeing that a VR dance could attract so much attention at MWC 2024 was quite a surprise.

Q: Hey, but didn't other exhibitors hire showgirls?

No, it's different from Taiwan. There were no showgirls at MWC 2024.

Q: Your schedule sounds hectic. How did you spend your days in Barcelona?

The hotel I stayed at wasn't near the venue; it took about 40 minutes to get there in traffic, or 20 minutes under normal conditions.

I would wake up around 6 a.m. before breakfast was served, so I had to grab something to go and then head to the venue.

I'd arrive around 8 a.m., start preparing by 9 a.m., and begin the first vr dance at 10 a.m.

Preparation usually took about 10 to 15 minutes, but as the days went by, the process became smoother, taking about 5 minutes. My colleagues knew what to do with the sound system and settings. Three of them helped me prepare for the performance, and we performed throughout the day, taking breaks for meals and rest in between.

Our fridge was quite a sight, stocked with cola every morning but empty by noon—Europeans love their cola.

We danced until the evening. The audience had to leave by 7 p.m., and we had to clear out by 8 p.m. I usually took the shuttle bus back with everyone. Restaurants in Spain open late, so we wouldn't go out to eat until 8:30 p.m., dining with colleagues. Since Europeans take their time with meals, we'd finish around 10 or 11 p.m., then head back to the hotel, wrapping up the day around midnight or 1 a.m., only to wake up at 6 a.m. the next day and repeat the cycle for four to five days.

Q: Besides VIVERSE, were there any HTC highlights that stood out to you?

One highlight was our collaboration with Varonia, a European VR arcade company featuring a multi-player zombie shootout for 6 to 8 players. That booth was packed all day and very popular. The zombies, the fast-running kind, were quite scary, and I was genuinely startled. The heavy guns were equipped with VIVE Wrist Trackers, and I found the tracking accurate.

Another standout was VIVE Mars, showcasing a large LED wall at the event with a T-Rex chase experience. You'd be running from a T-Rex, and suddenly, the director would shout, "Ok, 3, 2, 1, jump!" leading you to leap onto a cliffside rock, safely away from the T-Rex's grasp.

Participants could interact with the virtual environment on the LED stage in real time. They'd film you with a smartphone equipped with a VIVE Tracker, and as the camera moved, the LED wall background would shift accordingly. It was similar to a green screen but with the ability to display the scene live on the LED wall, resulting in a 20-second video clip.

One audience member's reaction was hilarious. At the "3, 2, 1, jump!" cue, he leaped off the stage, out of the camera's view, which was quite amusing. VIVE Mars was definitely a major highlight at MWC 2024, drawing a lot of attention.

@htc_vive 🦖 T-Rex has landed at #MWC2024! Are you coming? ✨ #barcelona #virtualproduction #htcvive ♬ 原聲 - HTC VIVE

Additionally, there was a VIVE Ultimate Tracker demo where groups could play soccer. Trackers were tied to players' left and right feet for a quick, one or two-minute game, making player turnover fast. The game was simple—no controllers needed. Just wear the headset, attach the trackers to your feet, and start playing. It was a hit, especially in Europe where the love for soccer runs deep, and players enjoyed the game immensely.