The Oculus Rift has been in the VR scene for quite some time
now but we are yet to see a consumer-friendly model released for the general
public. Well, after a long time of waiting, it seems that Oculus is now ready
to get its product to everyone.
The company has just announced the consumer-ready version of
its Rift headset ahead of E3 at a special event in San Francisco. The device
features a new constellation tracking system that works with a desktop sensor
to help determine the user’s position in space. Oculus VR has also built an
integrated audio system into the headset to provide immersive sound.
These audio system is removable though to enable users who
want to use their own headphones with the device. A slider can also be found at
the bottom of the headset that will allow consumers to adjust the distance of
the lens between their eyes.
The system will include an Xbox One controller and a
wireless PC adapter to serve as input devices. As you might have guessed, the
company has partnered with Microsoft for the controller (and then some). The
partnership also means that the Rift will have native support in Windows 10 and
users will be able to stream Xbox One games to PCs with the device.
There’s also going to be a new system software for the Rift
called Oculus Home. This will act as a central hub for all VR content for the
headset including games and social networking to name a few.
For an even more immersive experience, the company has also
introduced another way to interact in the VR world. Oculus VR has created its
own input system called Oculus Touch that aims to provide users with a more
intuitive way of using the Rift.
According to the company’s founder, Palmer Luckey, the most
common reaction of people when they try the system is to reach out with their
hands in the virtual world. That’s why they’ve build the Oculus Touch AKA Half Moon to get hand presence and
precise manipulation in VR space.
The controllers are wireless and features 360-degree and
inertial tracking technology. They also come with a couple of buttons, an
analog trigger, a hand trigger, a thumbstick and haptics that provide feedback
when a user touches something in the VR Space.
The VR company plans to get a demo setup at E3 next week to
show the full capabilities of the system as well as to showcase the newest
games developed for the Rift.
Both LG and Samsung
are already working on their own virtual reality headsets, and other
manufacturers such as Sony
and Carl
Zeiss are doing the same. So in order to make a lasting impression, a new
comer needs to do something different.
And this is exactly what HTC did with its Vive VR headset. For
starters, the Vive doesn’t use an HD camera to track a user’s movements.
Instead it uses several sensors including a laser position tracker, which when
combined with a gyrosensor and accelerometer can accurately track the movement
of a user’s head to an accuracy of 1/10th of a degree. The Vive also
goes with a pair of Steam VR base stations that track your physical location in
spaces up to 15 x 15 feet.
In terms of video, the Vive sports dual Full HD displays for
both eye that features a refresh rate of 90fps and displays photorealistic
images, which according to HTC will eliminate the jitter issues found in other
brands’ offerings.
As you may have noticed, HTC has partnered with Valve in the
development of this VR headset, which means the device will have access to
games developed by the brand on top of the content their partners such
Cloudhead Games, Dovetail Games and Fireproof Games will make for the headset.
As with other VR headsets, the Vive’s shipping date and
price haven’t been announce yet. Nevertheless, HTC’s entry into the VR scene is
a good sign that the development of the technology is progressing.
Google has recently announced a couple of improvements to
its DIY virtual reality headset that made a soft debut at the company’s
developer conference – Google I/O earlier in June. Today, the search giant is
bringing updates to Google Cardboard marking the company’s push for the
development of VR devices.
The first announcement was about an update to the Cardboard
app that highlights apps in the Play Store that are compatible with the VR
headset. Apps included in the Cardboard app include Google Earth, YouTube, a
Tour Guide app that lets users visit Versailles with a local guide, an Exhibit
app that lets users examine cultural artifacts from different angles, a Photo
Sphere app and a Windy Day app that shows an interactive animated short from
Spotlight stories.
Google also announced an updated SDK for the VR headset both
for Android and Unity. The SDK should allow developers to create immersive VR
experiences using cardboard.
Finally, the search firm also released new building
specifications and tools for companies who are interested in building the
Cardboard headset. The new specifications include richer design templates, more
detailed manufacturing tips and tools that help makers calibrate their design
with existing Cardboard apps.
Remember that DIY-looking augmented reality glasses that
were first seen during last year’s Maker Faire in California. The start up
behind the glasses – Technical Illusions is now ready to send out the first
pair of CastAR
headsets.
 |
| Image Credit: Engadget |
The first consumer-friendly headset is a far cry from what
we initially saw last year with a clean and improved construction. But the
technology is still the same, which includes an active shutter glass, a camera
input and a projector that displays images into a special surface. There’s also
a clip-on accessory that gives the CastAR some VR functionality.
Technical Illusions has already reached its $1 million goal
on Kickstarter. The first set of headset will soon be received by the initial
backers of the project, with the company rolling out more units and peripherals
in the near future.
Working with Samsung on the Gear VR has done Oculus well.
Having the Korean tech giant’s resources has helped Oculus with fast-tracking
its progress with its own virtual reality headset. The company has launched new
SDKs late last week alongside its collaborative work with Samsung.
For starters, there’s the Oculus Mobile SDK, which is now
available on the company’s Developer center. The initial version of the Oculus
Mobile SDK is specifically designed for the Gear VR Innovator edition for the
Galaxy Note 4.
The Mobile SDK supports Asynchronous Timewarp, direct front
buffer rendering, clock frequency locking, GPU context priorities, real-time
GPU context switching (fine-grained), real-time CPU threading and direct warped
content. Oculus has also scored an open license for Oculus Cinema, Oculus 360
Photos and Oculus 360 Video.
Back in September, Samsung showcased a prototype of its VR
headset accessory called the Gear
VR during at IFA in Berlin. This week, a more consumer-ready version of the
VR headset has showed itself at this year’s Samsung Developer Conference.
It’s called the Gear VR Innovator and it could be available
as early as next month. Samsung will offer the accessory in two packages: a base
package consisting of just the $199 headset or a $249 bundle with a Bluetooth
gamepad. The caveat is that this headset is only compatible with the Samsung
Galaxy Note 4 which makes the overall cost of the experience much higher.
Samsung has also introduced a new camera for the Gear VR called
Project Beyond. Basically, Project Beyond will be one of the devices that will
support Gear VR by capturing 360 degree environments.
Beyond features 16 full HD cameras that capture a 360-degree
panoramic view of its environment in 3D, collecting a huge amount of 3D data
per second. According to Samsung, the device is capable of high-speed connectivity,
adaptive stitching and ultra-wide-angle video and image capture.
Samsung isn’t disclosing everything about Project Beyond
yet. It appears the device is only meant as a prototype or a preview of what the
company is currently working on. Nevertheless, Project Beyond is quite
promising as it is currently the only input device we’ve seen for VR systems.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)