After three years of development, the Oculus Rift, the most advanced Virtual Reality (VR) headset (for example to view 3D configurators) ever developed, is almost ready to go. The Oculus Rift is not the first VR headset, but it will succeed in places where other headsets have failed. Today’s displays are sharper and smaller, processors are more powerful and head tracking sensors are more accurate. For users, this means a more immersive experience with a more compact device.
The first VR demos will probably be games. Imagine gaming situations that immerse players in realistic war zones or rich, Tolkien-inspired worlds. But the true impact of VR only becomes apparent later when artists, filmmakers, researchers and educators begin to use it in ways no one has thought of before. In an interesting article, Palmer Luckey, co-founder of Oculus VR, gave a brief explanation of the platform’s principles.
How it works.
Lenses.
The definition of a focus is crucial for the perception of depth. “They see a virtual image plane in each eye,” says Patel. Essentially, the user’s eyes stare beyond the display into the virtual environment.
Display.
A high-resolution screen, just a few inches away from a user’s eyes, projects a stereoscopic image – or two distorted images – onto each half of the screen. “We only use the normal way people use binocular vision to perceive depth,” says Patel.
“There are horizontal offsets between objects visible in the left and right eye that the visual cortex can process to perceive depth. “In other words, when the distorted 2D images are viewed in close proximity, users get the impression that they are in the virtual world.
Tracking technology.
The headset is equipped with more than a dozen sensor inputs. For example, a gyroscope, accelerometer and compass track the position of a user’s head. The designers also added external infrared sensors and a camera to increase position accuracy and monitoring. Software running on a nearby host PC analyzes this data and renders images of a virtual world that adapt to the head position. Luckey says the system’s low latency increases realism.
3D audio.
To be completely immersive, you need a great sound offered by Oculus in spatial perfection. “All you need is the simulation of two microphones in the game,” says Luckey. But the truth is that the software is a little more sophisticated. “We can make a good approximation of what each ear should hear at its location in the virtual room,” says Patel, “which is much better than what you could do with a typical surround sound setup.”
Thank you for visiting.
Leave A Comment