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About QuestNav

QuestNav enables streaming Oculus VR headset pose information to an FRC robot using the Network Tables 4 (NT4) protocol. This pose data provides robot control systems with accurate mapping and navigation capabilities in competition fields, practice spaces, or any location.

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QuestNav produces a more stable and reliable tracking pose than any other FRC vision solution (LimeLight, Photon Vision, etc.), making it an ideal choice for teams seeking precise robot localization.

Key Benefits​

  • More stable and reliable tracking than other FRC vision solutions
  • Lower cost compared to most FRC vision solutions
  • Multiple SLAM cameras for redundant, calibrated VIO (Visual Inertial Odometry)
  • Camera tracking fused with onboard IMU for accurate position and velocity estimates
  • Up to 120Hz robot odometry refresh rate (linked to the Quest headset framerate)
  • Powered by Qualcomm XR2G2 platform with multiple CPU/GPU cores, 8GB RAM, dedicated video hardware, and 128GB+ storage
  • Well-supported ecosystem with off-the-shelf 3D mapping libraries
  • Self-contained, rechargeable battery
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The Quest 3S headset is recommended for FRC applications due to its lower cost and excellent tracking performance. The depth projector on the Quest 3 doesn't provide significant benefits for robot navigation.

How It Works​

QuestNav uses the Quest headset's Visual-Inertial Odometry (VIO) system - the same technology that powers VR gaming - to track position in 3D space with remarkable accuracy. The system:

  1. Captures visual data through the headset's cameras
  2. Combines this with inertial data from the built-in IMU
  3. Processes this information to determine position and orientation in real-time
  4. Transmits this data to the robot via a wired Ethernet connection
  5. Makes the information available through Network Tables for robot code to use
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The same technology that prevents motion sickness in VR by precisely tracking head movements is now used to track your robot's position with high precision.

Software Architecture​

QuestNav implements a simple bidirectional communication structure between the VR headset and robot, enabling:

  • Heading/pose reset requests
  • Configuration updates
  • Ping functionality
  • Real-time pose data streaming

Demo Video​

Check out this demo video to see QuestNav in action:

For a more comprehensive demonstration, view the full video on YouTube.

Thanks​

QuestNav exists because of many sidebar discussions, technical deep-dives, and what-if conversations with coworkers and members of the FIRST community. Special thanks to the following contributors who made this project possible:

Support​

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For questions, troubleshooting help, or to share your experiences with QuestNav, join the community discussion on our Discord.

Next Steps​

Ready to get started? Continue to the Choosing an Ethernet Adapter section to select the appropriate hardware for your setup.