Hi Amelia,
I’ve worked with mobile workstations for XR development and have a few tips to share. For real-time eye-tracking data processing in Unity, especially when integrating with Tobii’s SDK, your workstation needs to balance both portability and high performance.
Here are some specs I’d recommend for smooth performance:
Processor: At least an Intel i7 or AMD Ryzen 7. A powerful multi-core CPU is crucial for handling the demands of XR development and real-time data processing.
Graphics Card: A dedicated GPU, such as an Nvidia RTX 3060 or higher, is essential for rendering XR environments with low latency. This will also ensure smooth eye-tracking integration in Unity.
RAM: 16GB of RAM is the minimum, but I’d recommend 32GB if you’re working with complex simulations or running multiple applications simultaneously.
Storage: An SSD with at least 512GB of space, as XR apps can quickly consume storage, especially when working with large assets or simulations.
Portability: Mobile workstations like the Lenovo ThinkPad P Series or Dell Precision series offer solid build quality, ample ports for peripherals, and great battery life for on-the-go development and testing.
External Display: A mobile setup that allows you to easily plug into a high-refresh-rate external monitor will help with development and testing. XR development often requires precise testing of visual fidelity, so having a good secondary screen is important.
When it comes to optimizing real-time eye-tracking, you might need to adjust your frame rates and ensure that the Tobii SDK’s eye-tracking data syncs smoothly with Unity’s rendering. Make sure to test the setup in different lighting conditions, as mobile environments can be challenging for eye-tracking.
Lastly, don’t forget to test your setup at the events you plan to attend. On-the-go testing will help you ensure everything is running optimally before showing off your XR applications.
Hope this helps, and I’d love to hear more about your setup as you continue to develop!