The original Wanda appeared in 1992, during the height of the original VR boom. It is basically a 3D mouse, operating freely in the air rather than in two dimensions on a desk. The preferred input device for CAVE-based systems for over a decade, the Wanda was redesigned in 1999, to deal with design flaws, and rework the ergonomics.
From the base on up, the Wanda has a receiving antenna which provides the computer with information about the wand's position and orientation, protruding from below the palm. The wand itself is hand-held, and contains a small joypad, placed conveniently for the thumb, and three programmable buttons.
The joystick is used for fine navigation, and works alongside the position and orientation information the Wanda transmits. Fully 6DOF compliant, the device records X Y and Z positions within the VR interface space, as well as pitch, yaw and roll. |