collabora/libsurvive

Open Source Lighthouse Tracking System

What it solves

Libsurvive provides an open-source alternative for 6 degrees of freedom (6 dof) tracking on systems based on HTC Vive and Lighthouse technology. It allows these tracking systems to run on any device without relying on proprietary software like SteamVR.

How it works

The library processes data from Lighthouse base stations and tracked objects (HMDs, controllers, trackers). It uses a calibration process to establish the spatial relationship between lighthouses and objects, then integrates IMU and light data to calculate the precise position and orientation (pose) of the devices. It offers both a low-level API for full data access (IMU, light data) and a high-level "Simple" API for fast position and velocity updates.

Who it’s for

  • Developers building open-source VR/AR stacks (e.g., Monado).
  • Robotics researchers needing high-precision 6 dof tracking.
  • Users who want to use Vive-compatible hardware on non-standard platforms or without SteamVR.

Highlights

  • Cross-platform support: Runs on Debian (Linux) and Windows.
  • Broad hardware compatibility: Supports SteamVR 1.0 and 2.0 generation devices.
  • Flexible Integration: Provides bindings for Python and C# (including Unity support).
  • Data Recording: Includes tools for recording and playing back raw USB or tracking data for debugging and CI testing.
  • Visualization: Includes a THREE.js-based web visualizer to monitor tracking in real-time.

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