Virtual Reality Equipment
In 1999 the Wachowski siblings released their film The Matrix, bringing virtual reality into the public arena. While some films had experimented with portraying a simulated world, this movie was the first to reach a large audience.
Some VR headsets plug into a powerful gaming computer to function, while others (like the HTC Vive) use dual base stations that track movement over a 15′ X 15′ area. Some headsets also include handheld controllers.
The Oculus Rift
One of the most popular VR headsets available today, the Oculus Rift, is a piece of hardware that straps to your head and plugs into an included gaming PC. It uses two OLED screens to power visuals, and it’s designed so you can adjust them to your facial features. It weighs a little over a pound, and it has soft padding where it touches your face.
The device is a consumer version of an earlier headset that began as a Kickstarter project and was later purchased by the tech giant Facebook. It’s a sleek and polished product that feels as if it was designed for the sort of cyberpunk hacker its founders were inspired by.
To use the headset, you’ll need a Windows PC with an virtual reality equipment Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a NVIDIA GTX 970 or AMD Radeon 290 graphics card. You’ll also need a USB keyboard and mouse, and an HDMI cable that runs from the headset to your computer. There are “Oculus Ready” PCs from Dell, Alienware and ASUS that meet these specs and come with the Rift for an additional $1,000 or so.
To set up the Rift, you’ll follow a series of step-by-step instructions on a website. It takes about 30 minutes to install everything, including a software program that allows you to adjust the Rift’s sensors.
The Cyberith Virtualizer
The Virtualizer is a virtual reality treadmill created by Austrian company Cyberith. The device aims to optimise the realistic impression of first person games while simultaneously unchaining players from their chairs and bringing them right into the action.
The rig’s main feature is an omni-directional treadmill that enables gamers to walk, run and rotate on the spot with their physical motion being matched in game by their virtual avatar. In addition, they can crouch, jump, sit down and move their arms. The idea is to create a sense of freedom and movement in the virtual world that would be impossible with a headset or controllers alone.
Although the Virtualizer has been designed primarily for gaming, Cyberith have also incorporated other uses for the gadget. It can be used for things like exercise, training or psychological therapy, as well as architectural simulations.
Cyberith have recently released a new version of the Virtualizer, which is called the Virtualizer Elite 2. This features a new design and improved performance. In particular, it offers haptic feedback by means of vibration plates under the walking area.
Currently, the Virtualizer is only available on Kickstarter and Cyberith are trying to reach their $250,000 goal in the next 37 days. Backers can get their hands on the gadget for a pledge of $599 for the non-sensor version and $999 for a unit with sensors.
The Omni
Using motion tracking, the Omni allows users to move around a virtual space and interact with other characters. It vr box also incorporates haptic and audio sensors, giving users the sense of being in a real world.
Although it may not offer Matrix-like immersion, the Omni provides a realistic experience that is still very fun to play games or explore. It has a field of view of 110 degrees and can track the movements of your hands and eyes. This allows you to pick up objects, build things, or look behind you. You can even bend down to look at an object closely or lie on your back to look at the stars in the sky.
VR can be used for a variety of business applications. For example, it can be used to conduct meetings, training sessions, and conferences in a virtual environment. It can also be used to create virtual demos of products and services.
AEC professionals can use VR to demonstrate 3D models of a project. They can also use it to collaborate on projects remotely. Moreover, they can convert 2D floor plans into a fully immersive virtual environment. This technology can help to improve communication and increase productivity. In addition, it can be used to train new staff and provide remote support to clients. This will ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget.
The Zeiss VR One
This is the first virtual reality headset produced by Zeiss, and it’s a very good one. It doesn’t quite compare to the Oculus Rift or Samsung Gear VR in terms of quality, but it still provides a very good experience. It also allows you to wear eyeglasses while using it, which is a big plus for anyone who needs them.
The VR One is designed to work with either the iPhone 6 or the Samsung Galaxy S5. It comes with a smartphone tray that fits your specific model of phone, and it can be replaced by trays for other models of phones as they become available. The VR One supports a few apps at the moment, but it’s not yet clear how many more will come to be made for this type of device.
The headset itself is made from a sturdy plastic, with the logo for the manufacturer (Carl Zeiss) and the name “VR One” engraved into it. It is very comfortable to wear, and it has two straps that you can use to hold it on your head. The lenses are precision lenses from Carl Zeiss, a company known for its optics, and they provide an excellent view of any virtual reality content you might play with it. One minor complaint is that the lenses tend to fog up pretty quickly, but you can easily solve that with a pair of defogging wipes made for scuba diving equipment.
