Looks like we're about to get virtual reality that actually works, at a reasonable price as well. The Oculus Rift, a project started by some 20 year old nerd who really wanted virtual reality, started as a kickstarter more or less, that very quickly raised two million dollars. The Rift is basically a head mounted display, that gives you stereoscopic 3D (basically real 3D), a relatively wide field of view (kind of like wearing a hoodie), decent resolution and sublime head tracking.
[M]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJo12Hz_BVI[/M]
Yes, it isn't really virtual reality, since you're only getting the visual stimuli, but that seems to be more than enough to convey a very very strong sensation of being in whichever place is being projected at your eye balls.
Don't believe it, here are some excellent videos of some guy letting his friends and co-workers try out the Rift.
[M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM08kgNuEcY[/M]
[M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ARHWmliUPY[/M]
I've ordered one, and judging by current production rates, I'll probably get it sometime in july or august. By an incredible stroke of luck, I might get it much earlier, due to packaging solutions for countries outside the US and Canada, but I am not holding my breath. Right now, they are only selling early versions, developer kits. The commercial release is scheduled for some time in 2014, when there's a lot of software developed for the device, and of course better technology, in particular even wider field of view and higher resolution.
[M]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJo12Hz_BVI[/M]
Yes, it isn't really virtual reality, since you're only getting the visual stimuli, but that seems to be more than enough to convey a very very strong sensation of being in whichever place is being projected at your eye balls.
Don't believe it, here are some excellent videos of some guy letting his friends and co-workers try out the Rift.
[M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM08kgNuEcY[/M]
[M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ARHWmliUPY[/M]
I've ordered one, and judging by current production rates, I'll probably get it sometime in july or august. By an incredible stroke of luck, I might get it much earlier, due to packaging solutions for countries outside the US and Canada, but I am not holding my breath. Right now, they are only selling early versions, developer kits. The commercial release is scheduled for some time in 2014, when there's a lot of software developed for the device, and of course better technology, in particular even wider field of view and higher resolution.