Developers / Unity / PICO walkthrough

PICO tutorial project

Get the PICO tutorial project and see how each of its three demos adds haptics.

Get the project

The project is on GitHub: HexR-Developer-Tutorial-Pico ↗. Clone it, or use Code → Download ZIP on that page.

shell

git clone https://github.com/MicrotubeTechnologies/HexR-Developer-Tutorial-Pico.git

Open it in Unity 6000.6.0f1, the version it is saved with. The first time, Unity downloads the HEXR package from GitHub, which takes a while and needs git on your PATH.
PICO’s OpenXR plugin is already in the project’s Packages/ folder, so there is nothing else to install.
The project uses HEXR #v0.9.3 — one release behind this package; change the pin to #v0.9.4 to get its fixes. The pin is the last part of the com.microtube.hexr line in Packages/manifest.json.
Switch to Android (File → Build Profiles → Android → Switch Platform), Build And Run to your PICO (how to put it on the headset), then connect the gloves from the HexR menu. The first time, allow the Bluetooth permission — on the PICO 4 it is called Location (why it matters).

The demos

One scene holds three demos, and the HexR menu’s DEMOS buttons switch between them. Unity’s XR Interaction Toolkit detects the grab or poke; HEXR decides what the glove does. Select any object in Unity to see its components.

Grab Demo

Four objects to pick up.

Object	How the haptics are added	What you feel
Apple pick it up	`HexRInteractableHaptics` beside the XR Grab Interactable	Pressure on the thumb, index and middle finger
Key pinch it	The same component	A pinch on the thumb, index and middle finger
Torch grab it, then put a finger in the flame	The same component on all channels. Flame: a `SpecialHaptics` zone set to Custom Vibrations	The whole hand squeezes; a finger in the flame buzzes
Heart pick it up and hold it	`HexRGrabbable` picks it up, with no XRI. A `SpecialHaptics` zone on it set to Heart Beat	A slow, steady heartbeat

Rain Demo

A fountain and a rain cloud. Reach into them.

Object	How the haptics are added	What you feel
Fountain put your hand in the water	A `SpecialHaptics` zone set to Fountain	A fine spray on every finger and the palm
Rain hold your palm under the cloud	A `SpecialHaptics` zone set to Rain Drop	Random taps, like drops landing. Only the palm starts it, so hold your hand flat

Puzzle Demo

Light every bulb by pressing the buttons. Each button feels different.

Object	How the haptics are added	What you feel
Button 1 poke it	The XR Simple Interactable’s Select events call `TriggerAllVibrations(0.6)` and `RemoveAllVibrations()`	A slow pulse on the whole hand
Button 2 poke it	The same events, calling `TriggerAllHapticsIncrease(0.4)`	A steady press
Button 3 poke it	The same events, calling `TriggerAllVibrations(10)`	A 10 Hz buzz

Three ways the demos add haptics

A component — HexRInteractableHaptics beside XRI’s XR Grab Interactable, with nothing to wire. Apple, key, torch.
A trigger zone — SpecialHaptics on a trigger collider, felt by any finger that goes in. Torch flame, heart, fountain, rain.
Interactable events — an XR Simple Interactable’s Select events call a method on a Pressure Controller. The three buttons.

Each one also has a small scene of its own in Assets/Scenes/: 1.Basic Tutorial (component), 2.Special Haptics Tutorial (zones) and 3.Button (events).

How to set up each one in your own project: Haptics setup.