Oculus Rift
The Oculus Rift is a new set of 3D virtual reality gaming goggles that is, by consensus, one of the most exciting, innovative and truly different new technology products of the last several years. Anyone you talk to who has tested Rift will invariably invoke the word "immersive" to describe the experience, and it's true: when you are within Rift, staring at the dual screens in front of your eyes, you have plunged into another, more distant world, and you tend to lose all sense of perspective of the physical, real one you actually occupy.
The Oculus Rift is an upcoming virtual reality head-mounted display. It is being developed by Oculus VR, who have raised US$91 million, of which $2.4 million was raised with crowdfunding via Kickstarter. The company was founded by Palmer Luckey and Scaleform co-founders Brendan Iribe and Michael Antonov, as well as Nate Mitchell. id Software co-founder John Carmack was later hired as its Chief Technology Officer.
How It Works
The Rift uses a 7-inch display. Lenses deflect the light of the two halves of the screen to the left and right eye. Different distances between the eyes can be adjusted by software.
One of the most important aspects of virtual reality glasses is to achieve a large field of view or FOV (field of view) as possible. The bigger it is, the easier the brain will accept the new reality and the more insight will be gained.
It feels natural to turn your head to get the full picture and to spot the details better than you can with a mouse and keyboard. The most impressive is the stereoscopic 3D that simply works and it’s better than a little flat look in 3D television.
Development
As a head-mounted display (HMD) designer at the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies, Palmer Luckey earned a reputation for having the largest personal collection of HMDs in the world, and is a longtime moderator in Meant to be Seen (MTBS) 3D's discussion forums.
Hardware
The new panel's pixel switching time is significantly faster, reducing latency and motion blur when turning one's head quickly. The pixel fill is also better, reducing the screen door effect and making individual pixels less noticeable. The LCD is brighter and the color depth is 24 bits per pixel. The 7 inch screen also makes the stereoscopic 3D no longer 100% overlapping, the left eye seeing extra area to the left and the right eye seeing extra area to the right. This mimics normal human vision, which does not 100% overlap either, although the overlap area is smaller on the Rift than in real life.
The weight of the headset is approximately 379 g,[31] (an increase of about 90 grams due to the increased screen size) and it does not include headphones.
The developer version of the Rift has DVI and HDMI input on the control box, and comes with one DVI and two HDMI cables, and a DVI to HDMI adapter.
A USB interface is used for sending tracking data to the host machine and powering the device, potentially negating the need for an external power supply.
Software
Games and game platforms must be specifically designed to work correctly with the Oculus Rift. Oculus is producing a software development kit (SDK) to assist developers with integrating the Oculus Rift with their games. The SDK will include code, samples and documentation. According to Oculus, game integration will begin with PCs and smartphones and be followed by consoles at a later date, and since its introduction, many developers have been working on integration.
Several titles are playable on the Rift via the free and open source Vireio Perception VR drivers. Games currently with full or partial support include Left4Dead, Elder Scrolls : Skyrim, Portal 2, Half Life 2, Bioshock, and more.
FEATURES
→ Low Latency 360° Head Tracking :
The Rift uses custom tracking technology to provide ultra-low latency 360° head tracking, allowing you to seamlessly look around the virtual world just as you would in real life. Every subtle movement of your head is tracked in real time creating a natural and intuitive experience.
→ Stereoscopic 3D View :
The Oculus Rift creates a stereoscopic 3D view with excellent depth, scale, and parallax. Unlike 3D on a television or in a movie, this is achieved by presenting unique and parallel images for each eye. This is the same way your eyes perceive images in the real world, creating a much more natural and comfortable experience.
→ Wearable & Affordable :
The Oculus Rift delivers a high-end virtual reality experience at an affordable price. The Rift is also designed to be as comfortable and lightweight as possible for long play sessions. The current Oculus Rift development kit is 369g, similar to a heavy pair of ski goggles.
→ Ultra Wide Field of View :
The Oculus Rift provides an approximately 110° field of view, stretching the virtual world beyond your peripheral vision. Your view of the game is no longer boxed in on a screen and is only limited by what your eyes can see. The combination of the wide field of view with head-tracking and stereoscopic 3D creates an immersive virtual reality experience.
→ Engine Integrations :
The Oculus Software Development Kit (SDK) includes out-of-the-box engine integrations for the Unreal Development Kit, Unreal Engine 4, and Unity 4 that make getting started with VR game development easier and faster than ever.
ADVANTAGE
• Better gaming experience whereby visual display is instinctive
♦ Gamers can orientate their perspective base on head motion
• Create the impression of an immense environment within a small physical space
♦Large field of view
• Oculus offers low latency, fast head-tracking performance
• Head movement tracking without motion sickness
• Adjustable focus for near- or far-sighted gamers
DISADVANTAGES
• Lack of compatible games
• Not enough content
FUTURE POSSIBILITIES
• Locked-in to one console manufacturer
• Diversify into other markets
♦ Cinemas: immersive movie experience
♦ Theme parks: interactive cinemas, simulations and digital games
♦ Training camps: military training, olympic training, pilot training, etc.
♦ Schools: immersive learning experience
♦ Property agents and interior designers: immersive design visualization
♦ Many others
• Further R&D
♦ Full coverage of human vision span (i.e. peripheral vision)
...Swami Vivekanand College of Computer Science...
College website : www.svccs.org
