what we’re building (reality check)

A real holosuite is a room-scale, multi-user, multi-sensory environment that blends:

visuals (near-eye now; light-field walls later),
natural locomotion (omni-floor/treadmill),
mid-air haptics + environmental cues (wind, heat, scent),
spatial audio,
ultra-low latency tracking & rendering,
a content pipeline (fast world capture + simulation).

success hinges on latency (<~20 ms motion-to-photon), correct depth cues, and convincing multisensory alignment. PMC+1

bill of materials (bom)

A) visuals

Path A (now): 2–4 high-end MR/VR headsets (eye-tracked, 90–120 Hz).
Path B (upgrade): tileable light-field displays (group-view 3D; up to ~100 views) for “helmet-off” shared scenes; keep headsets for close work. lookingglassfactory.com+2lookingglassfactory.com+2

B) locomotion

Omnidirectional floor/treadmill. Disney’s HoloTile proves multi-user omni-floor feasibility (research/demonstrator). Commercial alt: curved-shoe or ring-rail omni treadmills. YouTube

C) haptics & atmosphere

Mid-air ultrasound haptics module(s) for touchable buttons/surfaces in free air (Ultraleap dev units). Ultraleap Documentation+1
Optional acoustic “hologram” array for levitation/advanced effects (lab-grade research kit only). Nature+1
Wearable vibro/force bands; fans, heaters, cool mist; scent micro-emitters.

D) spatial audio

Beamformed speaker array or high-order ambisonics with individualized HRTFs; sync to head/eye pose. (Vision-class spatial audio is a good reference target.) YouTube

E) tracking & compute

Ceiling/floor depth cams + IMUs (OpenXR/SteamVR tracking), fast steering if using projection.
Compute: 1–2 multi-GPU boxes (per 2 users) to keep motion-to-photon under ~20 ms. PMC

F) content pipeline

3D Gaussian Splatting toolchain (phone/drone capture → splat training → real-time render). Use the paper + official repo. GitHub+3arXiv+3ACM Digital Library+3
Game engine: Unity/Unreal + OpenXR.
AI agents (NPCs), physics, interaction system.

G) room shell & safety

Acoustic treatment (RT60 ≲ 300 ms), blackout, HVAC, UPS, E-stop buttons, soft walls/rails near locomotion.
Clear exposure limits for ultrasound, safe projector/laser classes, and scent allergen policy. (Follow device safety docs.) Ultraleap Documentation

floor plan (8–16 m²)

Front wall: (future) light-field tiles; behind-wall cable trough.
Ceiling: depth cams, audio array, light bar; vented plenum.
Center: omni-floor/treadmill with safety rail & E-stop.
Perimeter: ultrasound haptics towers at ~waist/shoulder height.
Rack: compute/UPS/network + scent/wind modules; separate “quiet corner” for compressors.

core equations (targets & tuning)

motion-to-photon latency
$t_{\rm total}=t_{\rm tracking}+t_{\rm render}+t_{\rm scanout}+t_{\rm display}\;\rightarrow\;<20\text{ ms}$ for comfort. PMC
light-field sampling (group 3D walls): aim ≥60 pixels/deg and dozens of views to reduce aliasing & VAC; commercial panels offer up to ~100 views. lookingglassfactory.com+1
mid-air ultrasound pressure (qualitative): radiation pressure $F \propto \frac{2\alpha I}{c}$ . Use vendor tools to keep within skin-safe limits. Ultraleap Documentation

step-by-step build (phased)

phase 0 — room prep (1–2 weeks)

Acoustic panels (walls/ceiling), blackout curtains, dedicated circuits, 20A outlets.
Network (Cat6/6a), ceiling mounts for sensors, cable trays.
Install UPS + surge, set E-stop box reachable from treadmill center.

phase 1 — core immersion (2–4 weeks)

Headsets + base stations/inside-out tracking; calibrate guardian/chaperone.
Compute: set up OpenXR; measure MTP latency with test tools; tune to ≤20 ms. PMC
Spatial audio: set speakers/ambisonics; load personalized HRTFs where possible. YouTube
Environmental cues: add fans/heat; tie to engine events (e.g., wind zones).

phase 2 — mid-air haptics (2–3 weeks)

Install Ultraleap haptics unit(s) at waist height; USB/serial to host.
Calibrate focal points to tracked hands; render “virtual buttons,” surfaces, and textures; gate intensity with safety API. Ultraleap Documentation

phase 3 — locomotion (4–8 weeks)

Install omni-treadmill (or preorder omni-floor when available).
Integrate control: keep user near room center while world movement matches gait; verify stopping within <300 ms & add fall-prevention rail. (HoloTile demos show multi-user feasibility.)

phase 4 — group view walls (pilot)

Mount light-field display panels; set viewing zone.
Sync engine cameras to panels for spectators/users without headsets (100-view tech enables multi-viewer 3D). lookingglassfactory.com+1

phase 5 — content pipeline (ongoing)

Capture worlds: shoot a space with a phone/drone; process into 3D Gaussian splats (minutes) and stream in-engine at 60–200 FPS. arXiv+1
Add NPCs (LLM + behavior trees), physics, interactions; bake spatial audio paths.
Build a library of “experiences” (scenes + haptics + atmosphere + locomotion scripts).

phase 6 — QA & comfort

Iterate until: MTP ≤ 20 ms, PPD ≥ 35–60, RT60 ≲ 300 ms, haptic patterns are vivid but within vendor exposure limits. PMC+1

costs (very rough 2025 ranges)

Starter (2 users, headsets only): $8k–$20k (HMDs, PC, audio, fans, build-out).
With mid-air haptics & treadmill: $25k–$80k.
With light-field wall + multi-user locomotion: $120k–$500k (panels + pro integration).

what to build first (minimal viable holosuite)

Headsets + spatial audio + fans/heat (Phase 1)
One Ultraleap haptics array (Phase 2) Ultraleap Documentation
A safe omni-treadmill (Phase 3)
Content via Gaussian splats (Phase 5). arXiv

This already feels shockingly close to a “holosuite.” Then add light-field walls later for the “take the helmet off” moment. lookingglassfactory.com

references worth skimming

3D Gaussian Splatting (paper + site + repo) for instant photoreal worlds. GitHub+3arXiv+3ACM Digital Library+3
Ultraleap mid-air haptics docs (principles, SDK). Ultraleap Documentation+1
Light-field displays (100-view, group 3D). lookingglassfactory.com+2lookingglassfactory.com+2
Omnidirectional floor (HoloTile) demos as proof of feasibility. YouTube
VR motion-to-photon latency methods & importance. PMC+1

Bill of Materials (BOM) checklist with categories and suggested components.
Room wiring + layout diagram (text description).
Commissioning script: step-by-step calibration & testing once everything is installed.

🛠️ 1. Bill of Materials (BOM)

A) Visuals

Now:
- 2–4 × High-end MR/VR headsets (eye tracking, 90–120 Hz) → e.g., Apple Vision Pro, Varjo XR-4, or Meta Quest Pro.
- Tracking base stations (if not inside-out).
Future upgrade:
- 2–3 × Light-field display panels (e.g., Looking Glass 65" class or equivalent multi-view tiled systems).

B) Locomotion

1 × Omnidirectional treadmill or equivalent (Virtuix Omni, Kat Walk, Infinadeck).
Safety rail, harness, and E-stop.
Future: Disney HoloTile-like omni-floor (when available).

C) Haptics & Atmosphere

1–2 × Ultraleap STRATOS Explore or equivalent mid-air ultrasound haptics dev kit.
2 × Wearable haptic vests/gloves (bHaptics, TESLASUIT lite).
3 × Floor fans (PWM controllable).
2 × IR heat lamps (dimmable).
1 × Ultrasonic humidifier (for mist).
1 × Scent diffusion kit (programmable cartridges).

D) Audio

8–12 × Compact full-range speakers (arranged hemispherically).
2 × Subwoofers (floor mounted).
Audio interface with ambisonic decoding (Focusrite, RME).

E) Tracking & Compute

4 × Ceiling-mounted depth cameras (Azure Kinect, Intel RealSense, or OptiTrack).
IMUs in headsets and treadmill.
Compute server:
- 2 × Nvidia RTX 5090 (or latest).
- 128 GB RAM.
- PCIe Gen5 SSD (8 TB).
- UPS + surge protection.

F) Content Pipeline

Unity/Unreal engine (OpenXR support).
Gaussian Splatting toolkit (repo + CUDA build).
NPC AI stack: LLM + behavior tree system.

G) Room & Safety

12–16 m² enclosed space.
Acoustic wall panels (RT60 ≲ 300 ms).
Cable trays, blackout curtains.
HVAC upgrade (extra 3–5 kW cooling).
Emergency lighting + E-stop buttons on walls and treadmill.

📐 2. Room Wiring & Layout (text diagram)


[Front Wall] 
  ├── Light-field panel array (future)
  ├── Speaker cluster (L, R, Center, Height)
  └── Cable trough behind wall

[Ceiling]
  ├── 4 × depth cameras (corners, angled inward)
  ├── 6 × compact speakers (spatial array)
  ├── Light bar + IR markers
  └── Ventilation plenum

[Center]
  ├── Omni-treadmill (safety rail + harness)
  ├── Haptics towers (ultrasound arrays waist-high)
  └── Overhead harness anchor (optional)

[Perimeter]
  ├── Fans & IR lamps (N, S, E, W sides)
  ├── Mist + scent emitters near floor vents
  └── Subwoofers in front/rear corners

[Rack Corner]
  ├── Compute server + UPS
  ├── Audio interface & amplifiers
  └── Network switch + cooling

⚙️ 3. Commissioning Script

Step 1: Power & Safety

Verify dedicated 20A circuits for compute + treadmill.
Connect all gear to UPS → check runtime ≈ 10–15 minutes.
Test E-stop buttons → treadmill, power relays shut down.

Step 2: Tracking Calibration

Mount ceiling depth cams → measure overlap fields.
Run SLAM calibration → sync with treadmill’s IMU.
Align headset coordinate system to treadmill center (offset < 1 cm).

Step 3: Visuals

Connect headsets → run OpenXR diagnostics.
Measure motion-to-photon latency (goal ≤ 20 ms).
Foveated rendering enabled; confirm frame rates (90–120 Hz).

Step 4: Audio

Place ambisonic mic at treadmill center.
Run calibration sweep → tune EQ/delays.
Verify localization error < 5°.

Step 5: Haptics

Position ultrasound arrays ~80 cm from user.
Run SDK focal point test (buttons, sliders).
Ensure skin pressure within vendor safety (100–300 mN fingertips).

Step 6: Atmosphere

Integrate fans/heat/scent into engine.
Run scripted cues (wind gust, campfire heat, rainforest humidity).

Step 7: Locomotion

Enable treadmill → tune control loop.
Test walking speeds 0.5–2 m/s; verify braking < 300 ms.
Confirm center error < 0.5 m over 5 minutes.

Step 8: Content Pipeline

Capture a room via smartphone drone → train Gaussian Splat scene.
Import into engine; verify 60–200 FPS render.
Spawn AI NPC; confirm speech + behavior tree runs in sync with world.

Step 9: Multi-user Sync

Add 2nd headset; check frame sync < 10 ms drift.
Validate audio/visual coherence for both users.

✅ Minimum Viable Holosuite (first build target)

1 treadmill + 2 headsets.
Spatial audio + fans/heat.
1 ultrasound haptics array.
Gaussian Splat scene running at ≥90 Hz.

This alone gives you the “wow” factor. Then add light-field walls + multi-user locomotion for full Trek-style immersion.

Holosuite Shopping List with Links (BOM + Purchases)

Here are components you can buy right now (or preorder) to build the holosuite.

balanced all‑rounder

Meta Quest Pro VR Headset

$849.00

Walmart + others

★★

3.9

retina clarity

Pimax Crystal Light VR Headset

$599.00

pimax store

★★

3.6

locomotion‑floor

KAT Walk C2+ VR Treadmill

$1,499.00

KATVR + others

★★

3.7

enterprise spec

Fit Immersion PRO‑2X VR Headset

$650.00

North Pole Engineering

budget omni‑treadmill

KAT WALK C2 Core Treadmill

$999.00

Knoxlabs

★★

4.1

omni full system

Virtuix Omni VR Treadmill Full Set

$1,850.00

eBay

compact form factor

HTC Vive Flow Headset

$399.95

B&H Used Store

★★

3.5

super high PPD

Pimax Crystal Super VR Headset

$799.00