| Author | Message | ||
     Anonymous Rating: N/A |
Create an LCD projector from off the shelf available parts for under $300. Create an HMD from off the shelf available parts for under $300. Including headtracking (mechanical okay) and software mouse emulation for gaming. (Make plans available to all here...or at least on ebay.  ) | ||
| Eric Lindstrom Rating: N/A |
a couple things: 1) read the 100" TV thread to see my homebrew LCD Projector "how-to" article. 2)If you want the HMD Project to be stereo-capable, you will need to spend more than $300, since it will require two LCD displays. 3)Any projects like the ones you describe require precision soldering, and knowledge of basic electronics. I would suggest you go to Radio Shack, and purchase a few of the Experimenter's handbooks they sell. they are cheap, and well worth the read if you are seriously interested. Since these projects will require custom circuits to perform as required, knowledge in circuit design is a must. There is NO easy solution for the tasks at hand, unless of course you have plenty of ca$h onhand ^_^ -Eric L. | ||
| Michal Husak Rating: N/A |
Good HMD will need in adition a special wide angle optic. You can not put simply the LCD pannels befor glasses. There is no 300$ solution ... | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
Okay...so Eric has done it! The challenge of creating an LCD projector under $300 has been accomplished. If anyone builds this please post details w/ photos. Now the HMD. "No $300 solution." I think that you're wrong...but it's just a hunch. I'm not a techie. So if anyone wants to step up and bat on this one go ahead- even if it's just an idea outline. If you also think it can not be done, then feel free to post reasons why. I suppose with so many personal displays out there, there is no reason to reinvent the wheel. Let's say you get a used Eye trek or Glasstron for close to $300 (we'll raise our budget to $500). Now you need perhaps to mount the display in a more immersive helmet case-- perhaps similar to the VFX1 and figure out the tracker. I'm not sure how you could make a helmet-- maybe carve it out of a block of polystyrene foam and cover it with fiberglass. Maybe use an existing helmet. It seems like if you could use a low tech mechanical motion tracker-- somehow tranlating the motions of the head to a mouse via cables or a mechanical arm. Then you could use it for 3D games that utilized mouse look. There has to be a light weight simple way to do it mechanically that's been overlooked. I assure you that issues of motion "flicker", motion sample rates, and interference would be mitigated or avoided alltogether-- not to mention the advantage of cost. Need a mechanical engineer... Ideas? | ||
| Steve@IIS Rating: N/A |
Low Res LCD's are in the $200 range/eye, so stereo is out. Michal is absolutley right about the optics. The rest is all easy right? That's why everyone has built one...LOL Steve | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
Hi, Steve. Okay so stereo is out. Who needs stereo in an HMD-- especially at the cost of speed and resolution. I think it's been agreed to that an Eyetrek, Canon, or Glasstron will do for optics/display. You guys need to make a cheaper HMD-- when are we going to see that????? | ||
| David C. Qualman Rating: N/A |
Well, if you assume no limitations,you could cheat on the stereo HMD and use a single LCD. It would require that you have two light paths - mirrors and prisms - to get the light from the LCD to each eye. Then, you place very low cost shutters in front of each light path. By showing a page-flipped image on the LCD, you could in effect combine the LCD and shutters for stereo. Of course, this may not work if the single LCD has a long latency - I don't know about this. Or, if the optics and plastics to hold the LCD and optics cost too much. | ||
| Steve@IIS Rating: N/A |
Are we talking about making a lot of these things or just to make one to see if can be done? I am new to hardware development. You have no idea what goes into developing optics, sourcing parts etc, or maybe you do know. I am the sales guy, so luckily I don't have to bang my head against the wall too often, but you are talking about millions of dollars in tooling, ASIC design, prototype development, and on and on. In answer to your question about when will we make a low cost model, I think we have. Steve | ||
| Eric Lindstrom Rating: N/A |
You could convert a mono glasstron to a stereo glasstron by connecting one of the LCD's in the rig to an additional tuner. this would also require two seperate video sources (one for each eye). It's a step closer to your goal, but the additional tuner would not be cheap. it MIGHT be possible to make a cheap, stereo HMD for $500, people have done it, but it still requires electronics skills. Has anyone thought about using one of those large LCD panels for use with the PSOne? I saw one at CompUSA for $129 US. It has no tuner, but accepts composite video and Audio via RCA connections. This would probably work, but the problem is the stereo effect. The panel is about as big as a standard mouse pad (only thicker ^_^) If the refresh rate was fast enough, and shutterglasses worked with it, that would be an optimal solution. You ever think of buying a small SVGA monitor (like one of those tiny 9" CRT monitors they use at some banks and grocery stores at the checkout) and use it with shutterglasss to make a boom-mounted HMD? I've found these small monitors for sale on Ebay many times, and they usually have high enough refresh rates to work. Just some ideas, -Eric L. | ||
| vrone Rating: N/A |
Steve/All: I need a username-- how about something corny... "vrone" okay that's my username for future reference-- I requested the cheaper HMD...all in good spirit. Don't take offense, Steve. You guys have the most afforable real HMD on the market; however, it's over a grand. When you guys make one under $300 then I think IIS will be able to carve a bigger niche in the untapped market. (I know "it can't be done." But I respectfully disagree, I think it can.) And cheer up mass acception of the technology will result in economies of scale that dictate decreasing prices not increasing ones. (Of course the technology will have to go through the process of Sony, Microsoft and Disney stepping on the market right when it starts to mature so that VR innovators who are bought out by them will be discouraged by corporate sluggishness and those small innovators outside the corporate structure will be discouraged by the futility of going up against the big co.s...maybe one will purchase iis though for a good penny, eh? Be patient.) And yeah, we're just making one, but don't dismiss the ideas here. The technology for scuba and submarines existed at least 100 or so years or b4 anyone put it all together-- earlier for steam power. Necessity is the mother of...you know the rest. Eric, I like the idea of the small boom moun ted CRT/HMD-- something that hangs over a chair, from the ceiling, or is moutned on an arm...that also gets around the $300 glasstron and high cost LCDs. Maybe a bit too much radiation for the head though ...reminds me of the image ( I think on this site)-- fellow with TV strapped to head. But maybe a good idea nonetheless. Wonder what the max refresh rate is and optics issues.... VRone | ||
| Eric Lindstrom Rating: N/A |
Most of the Kaiser HMD's use CRT's, As did the original Visette HMD (Virtuality). Radiation shouldn't be an issue, so long as you use optics to distance your eyes from the screen. As for the Refresh Rate, using a CRT, it would be a non-issue. LCD's are a different story though. I found a good link for you. A homebrew VR guy built himself a really nice stereo-capable HMD for about $350, he obviously knew his stuff, as it's a really nice rig (considering it was homebrew). Check it out, it's at: http://www.eecs.uic.edu/~mbogucki/hmd.html He says He can email info on how he built it, His address is listed as mbogucki@evl.uic.edu ...However, this address may be out of date. -Eric L. | ||
| vrone Rating: N/A |
The homebrew HMD in the link (w/ out tracking) cost more than a used glasstron or eyetrek-- or in the ballpark. Also he admits that his use of cheap optics caused eye strain. However, the idea for a boom-mounted or suspended single large LCD/small crt/shutterglasses display might be good. My feeling is to just purchase a glasstron and hack the shell so that it's more immersive (avoid stereo vision). Maybe as simple as adding blinders to the sides. I think the glasstron mounted in a VFX1 shell would be good. Then you get the audio stereo and built in mic, too along with the ability to flip up the visor and one of the most comfortable of the HMD mounts. That'll run you another $200-$300 on ebay for a VFX1...now you're up to $500 or so. But there are a variety of much cheaper alternatives to mounting the glasstron-- i.e. bike helmet. Or you could carve/sculpt a helmet shell from high density insulation foam (make sure you read the hazard sheet on that stuff/use a mask/it's nasty in the lungs) and fiberglass/paint it for about $100. Before you did that, you would need to know what type of tracking that you were going to use so that you could leave a place to mount it. Ideas for tracking? I think I remember seeing an advert in a forum for the old iglasses tracking-- maybe www.mindflux.com- for about $300 or so... they mentioned mouse emulation software, too. I'm sure that there is a way to do tracking mechanically that's been overlooked. Some might be thinking; why bother with a homebrew hmd? Because there isn't one available that works well with current hardware/software for under $1000. Hard to validate that expense for personal use. vrone | ||
| Eric Lindstrom Rating: N/A |
AHA! but you are wrong! The HMD the guy built DOES have headtracking! He also has built a dataglove w/DAC. The entire system uses 3 PC's running Linux, one for tracking, one for graphics, and one for the glove. The reason for the eyestrain was his use of surplus optics, which didn't have any documentation. As for boom-mounted mechanichal tracking, it's quite simple. The guy who used to do the Cheap VR E-zine described a project using a Luxo lamp as a boom for headtracking. he described using potentiometers (pot switches) in certain locations of the boom, and a DAC to do this. Unfortunately, the lamp he purchased for the prototype was too old and stiff to do the job. Also, what about a program called Use Your Head, which uses a USB webcam to perform headtracking in any piece of software. It watches the players head, observing when it's in a "control zone" triggering a keyboard or mouse event in turn. Maybe a similar system with multiple cameras (one for each control axis) Just some ideas. -Eric L. | ||
| vrone Rating: N/A |
I don't know -- the issue is build vs buy the display. All I'm saying is this fellow built his and he's having trouble with it, maybe if the budget were increased a bit say to $500 then buy would be a better option. But if we're sticking with $300, how could his optics be improved? To stay within $300, I'm keen on the idea of using a small crt with shutter glasses (could find none on ebay) -- and suspend it with a spring and cable to mitigate the weight. So what about optics for such a mono CRT setup with shutterglasses? Let's say you have one of these small CRT's what kind of lens would you need to pull off the optics....what would be the basics of the setup. As far as tracking, I like the idea of mechanical tracking, but you need someone who is hardware and software savvy to bring it to life....two skills that are rare in combination. I like the idea of the video tracker...it would make sense that a cheap web camera could monitor something attached to the hmd for more accurate motion detection. I think I'm going to give this a go-- creating the HMD. I just need a bit more thinking before I start "hammering". I'm a designer so hopefully it will at least look cool. So of the all this stuff suggested, Eric, how would you go about this? I mean which basic direction would you go... Vrone | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
Have you seen the book "Virtual Reality Creations" by Dave Stampe, Bernie Roehl, John Eagan? They include a Fresnel Viewer with a good field of view. They put side by side the left and right image on a regular screen What if you use for example a glasstron and use the same approach to obtain stereo? | ||
| Eric Lindstrom Rating: N/A |
Sorry it took so damn long for me to respond on this stuff; I've been tied up lately. Okay, in response to VROne, I guess how I would attack the project is quite simple. Since you're a designer (I studied design in college, go figure!) You probably have a rough idea of what you want as far as styling. Still, from a development standpoint, design should always be seccondary. For example, Let's look at Dean Kamen's reported "Ginger" or "IT" invention. It looks like a pogo stick with wheels. Not asthetic as all, even Steve Jobs reportedly said the design "sucks"! But still, as any design school will teach you, form should follow function, in other words. Make your HMD's guts first, and worry about making it pretty afterwords. So, you have to ask yourself, "What do I NEED it to do?", then, ask yourself, "What do I WANT it to do?". Lastly, ask "what do I NOT want in this system". Once you have answered these questions, you should enter your initial "engineering stage" or in other words, Figure out how to get what you NEED, and as many of the things you WANT incorporated in the device. I would suggest you look at the raw materials you may already have lying around the house first, and then say to yourself, "okay, how do I get These components to do what I want them to do", and then purchase additional pieces for your rig, according to your engineering plan. Make the NEEDED features your initial priority, and add in other features as you have time and money for adding them. Let me give you an example, My current LUCID project. I already had an old 15" monitor, a folding lounge, shutterglasses, as well as some raw building materials (plywood, 2x4's, some old PC accessories, a frensel lens, etc). I used this stuff to make the core system, the stuff I NEEDED. I have since began updating my design as I went along, I bought a 3D controller, a special pointing device, data switch, a better monitor (the old one was low-res, and flickered a bit) and some other things. things began to come together. Now, I am on stage 3 of the engineering cycle. I came up with a new design, and I am currently retrofitting my last configuration with new features (custom ergonomic upholstery for the lounge, custom sound system, force feedback, a canopy to block out the surrounding environment, etc) and I am also streamlining the design now, placing all the needed ports in the monitor stand, adding a USB hub, and many other things. It is at this stage that I am actually finalizing my design. The reason I waited is because I didn't know what shape my system would take until now. Now that I know what LUCID requires as far as hardware is concerned, I am able to fine tune it along the lines it has developed in the engineering process. So for you, I would suggest the mounted HMD. See what you already have that can help you accomplish this device, make a couple rough builds of your rig, and one you know what you want out of it, what it can and can't do, make your design more specific and build off of that. Don't neglect the audio features; you probably already have most of the stuff you'll need for that! As for actually buying additional hardware and materials, be a miser! For example, today I saw a Logitech force-feedback joystick for sale at Big Lots (a liquidation discount chain) for $25!!! No Joke! I thought about my design a bit, and have decided that the bargain is too good to pass up (it'll be nice for flight sims!) and will be picking one up to incorporate into LUCID. Also, visit computer shows, discount stores, garage sales, anyplace where you can find stuff CHEAP!!! also, I suggest you check out the old CHEAP VR site, the guy has lots of ideas. it's located at http://www.goodnet.com/~andrewa/hardware/cheapvr/cheapvr.htm Remember, form follows function. -Eric L. | ||
| VRone Rating: N/A |
Hi, Eric. Thanks, for the advice. It's occurred to me b4 that a pod of sorts might be better bang for the buck homebrew immersive/fun system-- especially for sit-back vehicle sims. A few ideas (I'm sure many of them you've thought of or are not in line with what you want but here they are nonetheless): hook up a subwoofer to the seat to feel the low tone explosions mount speakers on the pod on either side of the ears put an old tuner/amp within reach in the enclosure-- pipe all the sound through that for better audio control put the entire thing on a base that sits on a universal pivot and use sensors hooked up to off shelf forcefeedback joystick, and aircompressor to move the thing mechanically...i.e. Rock n Ride (in a system like this you could use any forward thrust control to trigger tilt backwards so that you feel like the speed is pushing you in the seat) use old car seat enclose the entire thing so that 0 light gets in from the outside-- put a phone in with hands free talking feedback wheel foot controls using an old monitor mounted outside so that someone can see gameplay from outside (mount keyboard inside) I'll read up on basic optics, but a short description of your mirrored/fresnal lens display would be appreciated. Thanks. VROne | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
Can you buy some sort of TV stereo-sound receiver cheaper than buying a stereo TV? | ||
| Eric Lindstrom Rating: N/A |
>Hi, Eric. Hey VROne >Thanks, for the advice. No Problem ^_^ >It's occurred to me b4 that a pod of sorts >might be better bang for the buck homebrew >immersive/fun system-- especially for >sit-back vehicle sims. Yup, I agree, That's what I'm currently building; My LUCID project is based on the concept. >A few ideas (I'm sure many of them you've >thought of or are not in line with what >you want but here they are nonetheless): ...Okay, shoot! >hook up a subwoofer to the seat to feel the low >tone explosions I will be doing this with LUCID. The old Battletech pods did this too. I am also using two Aura Bass Shakers for force feedback. ^_^ >mount speakers on the pod on either side of the ears I'm doing this too. integrated into a headreast. The headrest also immobilizes the head so it keeps it in an "eyes forward" position. Two more speakers will be in the canopy, positioned behind the monitor, possibly (I haven't decided on that one yet) >put an old tuner/amp within reach in the >enclosure-- pipe all the sound through >that for better audio control Good idea. I was going to use an old mixer I had laying around, and mount it on the monitor boom's base, but this idea may work better; I have a lot of amps from my last automotive system ^_- >put the entire thing on a base that sits on a >universal pivot and use sensors hooked up to >off shelf forcefeedback joystick, and >aircompressor to move the thing >mechanically...i.e. Rock n Ride >(in a system like this you could use any >forward thrust control to trigger tilt >backwards so that you feel like the speed is >pushing you in the seat) nice Idea, and I could probably do that. I have already found some FF controlers, but the Hydraullics would be a) too noisy, and b) too costly for LUCID (remember, the first two letters in LUCID stand for Low Cost &_& I COULD do it; I have friends that hook up lowriders for a living, and I have a compressor for it, but the noise would piss my neighbors off, and the added expense would defeat the project's purpose. ...Oh well, maybe in my next rig! ^_^ Continue... >use old car seat Good Idea, But I am making my own seating for my project. it will be a "neutral posture" lounge, with custom upholstery; 100% made by me. I will be using a headrest (Whiplash arrestor for those in the U.K.) from a car on my lounge, however. Maybe one from a Pontiac Fiero (they had speakers in the headrests) Also, car seats are expensive (even when gotten from the Junkyard, anywhere from $100 to $300 for leather. Good idea, though. Would be great for auto-racing sims. >enclose the entire thing so that 0 light >gets in from the outside-- Yes, I will be adding a canpoy to my rig. Will be big, but not a full seal, just enough of one that you will be immersed when you are in an eyes-forward position. My premise was tested, and it works pretty good. it also keeps my price down ^_^ >put a phone in with hands free talking I LOVE this idea! Hell, it's hooked up to a PC anyways, why not use software that uses the modem for this, I have software like that on my laptop. Damn good idea! Thanks! >feedback wheel I am considering this one. I have room for it, since LUCID is expandable. >foot controls Definitely. My lounge will have footrests monted on it anyway, so it will definitely be able to be upgraded by adding them later. this is last on my list, but still a good idea. >using an old monitor mounted outside so that >someone can see gameplay from outside I thought of this one, but don't forget that your view will be in stereo, you your buddy would only get to see a blurry mess (unless you has extra glasses of course, I have 2 pair! ^_^ Moving my shutterglass controller to the player's monitor only may work, but I'm worried about signal degredation (long cables!) >(mount keyboard inside) Yup! mine's on an arm that can be swung out of the way when not in-use (keyboards aren't that immersive) ^_^ If you are running the rig for others, the keybord is swung around to the ouside, or it can be done at my desk at the flip of the switch in my current setup. >I'll read up on basic optics, but a short >description of your mirrored/fresnal lens >display would be appreciated. Good to hear! My display simply uses a monitor, with a Frensel magifyer placed about 1 ft. in front of it (the lens is mounted in the bottom of a black filing case. The screen is a bit brighter, it seems, but that's good, because i am using shutterglasses. the monitor (with magnifying attachment) is mounted to a boom, so it easily adjusts to the player's viewing position. the canopy (when mounted) swings down, over his/her head, down past the user's shoulders and chest area. When the canopy is lowered, the user and the display are enclosed, and sealed away from outside light sources. However, if you look down, there is enough light to see your hands, and a keyboard (assuming it's out). this is also good if your eyes need a break. So long as you are looking at the display, you feel totally immersed. it's a good effect, and cheap to put together (so far!) Playing QuakeII with a Sidewinder Dual Strike 3D controller onmy system is cool as hell! it should be even better when the actual sound/FF hardware is installed. >Thanks. > >VROne No problem! ^_- -Eric L. | ||
| Eric Lindstrom Rating: N/A |
To reply to anonymous, yes, you can use a stereo receiver. or you can buy a Hi-FI VCR, and use the tuner in that (hook it to the stereo). I do actually have a stereo signal processor, it's pretty old. it converts the mono signal off a TV into a stereo signal, also has dolby and stereo emulation of some sort. it's real old. I don't think they make these anymore. These days, I just tune stuff through my VCR instead, it works great, and my tv sucks because it's old as hell, but the audio sounds awesome. Oh, BTW, when we say, "Stereo" on this webboard, we are talking about a display that can show true three-dimensional images with depth, Like a 3-D movie Stereo is short for stereoscopic. Audio issues like the one you posted would get better answers from a HI-FI forum of some sort. Do a search for Home entertainment systems, or better yet, audiophile sites, This site discusses stereoscopic display systems and other VR subjects. Hope my advice helps you. -Eric L. | ||
| Andreas Schulz Rating: N/A |
Talking about headtracking - anyone knows about this one : http://gdmirror4.theglobe.com/gdreview/zones/previews/apr98/urgear.html Sounds interesting, and is currently on sale (down from ~150 to ~22 Euro) here in Germany ( at http://www.brinkmann.de ). | ||
| Eric Lindstrom Rating: N/A |
I've seen that product before, never tried it out. Kind of like the old VFX1 units, only without the displays and optics. The price sounds good, the only thing you should concern yourself with is compatibility with current software (I heard about this product quite a few years ago) -Eric L. | ||
| Andreas Schulz Rating: N/A |
From the description, looks like it's supposed to emulate a 3-axis joystick (plus thrust controller and buttons in the extra manual controller). Tried the headset last night in the shop - fits like a vice, nothing I would wear for more than a minute (wasn't connected to anything either, so I couldn't try the function). Besides, IR units are starting to pile up around my computer (shutters, TV card remote, IR gamepad, IR audio,..) | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
The problem with that darn Union Reality thing is that you have to keep your head pointed generally at the monitor. I tried one. I think it's mainly intended to provide hands-free mouse movement, but it could also emulate joystick in games, I guess. However, as far as the requirements for a VR HMD head tracker (with extended axes), I'd guess it to be unacceptable. Too bad! | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
About the single LCD and the shutterglasses. Why would you need the seperate path ways and prisms. Could you just use the single LCD and a pair of intergrated shutterglasses. The FOV would be less, but the project much more simplified as well as cost. Anyone taking on this project?? | ||
| Michal Husak Rating: N/A |
LCD polarize the light. Combination of LCD and shuterglasses = double polarization = black screen. It does not work. I often get the similar effect when I am recording water surface with NuView camera attachment ... Refections on water surface are polarized, NuView attachment pass throw only light of specific polarization = invisible black water. The same effect will be probably obtained by trying to watch in stereo output from LCD projector (without depolarization optick) .... | ||
| Rob Rating: N/A |
Re: :: :: Low Res LCD's are in the $200 range/eye, so stereo is out. Michal is absolutley right about the optics. The rest is all easy right? That's why everyone has built one...LOL :: :: Well alot of people like the stereo. I think it would be really awesome in a HMD but when you have to almost double the cost i think that the money is much better spent on wider field of view. Then again i suppose it depends on the intended use. For watching movies, i think resolution is more important to an extent, but you still need FOV. For games, i think FOV is more important, though you still need resolution. Try this: play your favorite 3d game normally, and then try situation your monitor so that it is close to your face (about 6 or 8 inches) without having to sit uncomfortably. I did this and counterstrike is now a whole new game! Not a replacement for an hmd but really an interesting experiment to see what FOV alone can do. :: :: Re: Well, if you assume no limitations,you could cheat on the stereo HMD and use a single LCD. It would require that you have two light paths - mirrors and prisms - to get the light from the LCD to each eye. Then, you place very low cost shutters in front of each light path. By showing a page-flipped image on the LCD, you could in effect combine the LCD and shutters for stereo. :: :: My experience with 3d shutters is limited, theme parks and my eye3d 4 in 1. I don't know really if the problem is the video card and/or monitor (i can get to 120 or 140 hz refresh at 800x600) but there was ALOT of bleeding, useless for video gaming. If there is anywhere NEAR this much bleed in a system, i'd see it as too expensive, better spent on FOV. :: :: re: You could convert a mono glasstron to a stereo glasstron by connecting one of the LCD's in the rig to an additional tuner. this would also require two seperate video sources (one for each eye). :: :: There is a page at: http://www.cc.gatech.edu/ccg/resources/glasstron/ that has detailed pictures and plans for converting a glasstron unit to stereo if anyone is interested. ::: ::: re: Has anyone thought about using one of those large LCD panels for use with the PSOne? I saw one at CompUSA for $129 US. ::: ::: I don't know what a psone is, and couldn't find any links, do you have a link for the PSOne? :: :: re: The homebrew HMD in the link (w/ out tracking) cost more than a used glasstron or eyetrek-- or in the ballpark. Also he admits that his use of cheap optics caused eye strain. :: :: I've heard of a metal whose electrical properties change as it changes shape. The metal is pliable (soft, bendable if made right if i remember this right) and i remeber wondering when i read the article if it might be useable to mount to your neck to use to track movements. If it worked, you'd need 3 (pitch yaw and roll axis).. Anyone heard of this being used? I can't recall the name of the metal.. I've also heard of using more or less traditional levels to track head positioning- similar to having a simple enclosed tube partially filled with water, the bubble moves as the tube is tilted. It used chemicals in place of water and a gas instead of an air bubble. The bubble moves and sends an electrical signal. There were 3 of them for each axis. I think the chemical/gas was used to minimise the effect you'd get in a normal level- mechanical vibration in the liquid sending false movement codes electrically or something.. Don't remember any more details on this either. Anyone else? I remember also a laser based tracking system, also don't remember details on it.. What it does is use a system of mirrors to bounce the beam of a single HeNe (or other type i guesss) all around you. Other lasers on you (3- one for each axis) send beams out, the interaction of the beams is used to detect head movement. Oh, you said an HMD for LESS that $300 opps.. :: :: re: I like the idea of the video tracker...it would make sense that a cheap web camera could monitor something attached to the hmd for more accurate motion detection. :: :: That reminds me of something that is actually opposit of what you said. I thought of this myself once, but i'm not a genious, i'm sure other people have probably implemented it by now.. Has anyone head of this? Mount a really cheapo (the cheaper the better for this use) camera (webcam or...) to the top of your head (you'll get chicks real quick this way). Hook the video out of the camera to the computer, where software would (?) be able to tell how you are moving your head based on how the geometry of the picture is changing. THIS i don't THINK is too demanding CPU wise, we're not really talking about picture recognition in this case.. My thought was if the physical environment were set up to make this easier for the software to process (let's start with a totally flat white well lit room with grid lines on two axis all over everywhere (now you'll have to beat the chicks off with a stick. What a picture). I'm wondering if this might work reasonably inexpensively?There are plugins for video editing applications that will steady a shaky camera shot and they work pretty good, on a software level, you'd think this is a very similar thing. :: :: |
