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USC Launches Web Hub for DIY Virtual Reality Projects

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March 19, 2013

For those who want to create their own virtual reality headsets, there are not many resources available. USC’s MxR Lab aims to change that by offering a newly launched showcase of creations and modifications that DIY enthusiasts can build, including open source code for both the devices and integrating full-body motion control through either Kinect for Windows or OpenNI. Continue reading USC Launches Web Hub for DIY Virtual Reality Projects

Oculus VR Believes the Time has Come for Virtual Reality

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February 20, 2013

Virtual reality has yet to take a stronghold commercially, but a new product might change that. A new VR headset from California startup Oculus VR “costs just a few hundred dollars and puts players inside games like no television set can,” writes The New York Times. Resembling a pair of ski goggles, the headset is a combination of the affordable but high-quality parts made for the mobile electronics market and new technology from Oculus VR. Continue reading Oculus VR Believes the Time has Come for Virtual Reality

Are there Other Media Applications for Military VR and 3D Tech?

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October 20, 2011
  • Quantum 3D has created virtual reality technology for soldiers to train for battle wearing 3D glasses equipped with screens.
  • “Trainees are 100 percent immersed in the battlefield, while actually prowling around the conference room, gymnasium, or parking lot,” reports KNTV/NBC (includes video).
  • This opens some interesting possibilities for general training, education, and theme park applications.
  • In related news, IEE Inc. has integrated its 4.8-inch 800×400 military data display with 3M’s autostereoscopic film for a glasses-free 3D display that allows running of custom apps (terrain mapping, remote robotics control, enhanced video feeds, and training environments).
  • Key design elements include its small size, high resolution and LED backlight technology. The new display “decreases off-axis image reversals and color distortions, a common concern in the use of 3D technologies, and can easily be switched to 2D with imagery comparable to modern day smart phones,” according to the press release.

Sony Experiments with Headgear for VR Gaming

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July 21, 2011
  • Sony Computer Entertainment may launch a 3D headset for virtual reality-type games in the future.
  • The head-mounted display was first introduced during the company’s CES press event in January, but now Sony is reportedly working on developing it for more than just viewing passive entertainment.
  • The device features twin 720p OLED displays (one for each eye) and 5.1 surround sound.
  • Mick Hocking, group studio manager for Sony Europe, said the 3D headset can provide an immersive experience for games (and it is worth mentioning that a number of Sony Computer Entertainment studios fall under his command).
  • “The head-mounted display has twin-OLED screens; very high quality. At the moment it’s just a head-mounted display; the head isn’t being tracked — but that’s something we’re doing R&D on,” Hocking explained. “We’re working with a couple of games at Sony that are experimenting with virtual-reality-type experiences.”

Crescent Demonstrates 360-Degree Real-Time VR System

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July 11, 2011
  • Crescent Inc. recently demonstrated its new head-mounted VR system at Japan’s 3D & Virtual Reality Expo.
  • The Immersive Digital Entertainment VR system provides a full 360-degree virtual environment accessible through the head-mounted display in what Engadget describes as “like a Virtual Boy that your wear.”
  • The system uses Virtools real-time rendering technology, image analysis technology, and a Vicon motion capture system in order to capture users’ movements and the items they interact with in the VR space.
  • An array of HD motion capture cameras make the “virtual reality that much less virtual (and in turn, that much more reality).”
  • The post includes a video report featuring an interview with Takahiro Akiyama who worked on content development. He is CEO of 4D Brain and former visual effects art director for the film “Final Fantasy.”
  • For the future, Akiyama envisions a new form of entertainment that integrates biofeedback within such a VR system.

Topcon IP-S2 Lite System Creates Panoramic Maps in 3D

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June 29, 2011
  • Topcon’s IP-S2 Lite system — unveiled at Tokyo’s recent 3D & Virtual Reality Expo — creates 3D video footage that can be analyzed and augmented with virtual objects.
  • Topcon’s road condition evaluation system features a 360-degree camera, GPS and inclinometer.
  • The system also measures height, distance and surface area within individual frames in order to insert computer-generated images and to construct maps of disaster-stricken regions.
  • Japan’s Geospatial Information Authority used the technology after this year’s earthquakes to map coastal areas, providing helpful visuals of the damage.
  • The report includes a 2-minute video demo.

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