[HN Gopher] Relativty: An open-source VR headset for $200
       ___________________________________________________________________
        
       Relativty: An open-source VR headset for $200
        
       Author : LorenDB
       Score  : 306 points
       Date   : 2024-11-15 01:55 UTC (21 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.relativty.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.relativty.com)
        
       | jckahn wrote:
       | The name of this product is infuriating.
        
         | pteraspidomorph wrote:
         | Oh boy, I didn't even notice until I read your comment!
        
         | garyfirestorm wrote:
         | Nvm I see it now
         | 
         | Why is that? I don't see any problems with this particular
         | name. Valve index and oculus rift aren't that amazing either.
        
           | LorenDB wrote:
           | The name is Relativty, which is one 'i' off from the normal
           | spelling of relativity.
        
         | esafak wrote:
         | It's more searchable?
        
           | internet101010 wrote:
           | No, it will just get auto-corrected. Removing a letter from a
           | word as a brand name is dumb; it is no different than parents
           | naming their kid a normal name with stupid spelling and
           | thinking they are original/creative.
        
             | datashaman wrote:
             | Put quotes around brand names.
             | 
             | https://www.google.com/search?q=%22Relativty%22
        
         | alluro2 wrote:
         | "RelativityVR" or similar would arguably be equally good for
         | search, clearer purpose/context from the get-go, and much
         | easier to communicate, vs " 'Relativity', but without second
         | 'I' " ...
        
         | Kototama wrote:
         | It's even more confusing for non native speakers.
        
       | nashashmi wrote:
       | I feel like the future would declare monitors to be old
       | technology. And everyone will migrate to eye mount displays.
        
         | Zamiel_Snawley wrote:
         | That's kind of my dream for programming actually.
         | 
         | A belt-mounted split keyboard on my thighs, and limitless
         | screen space in a serene setting provided by VR. Won't need a
         | standing desk at all!
        
           | grugagag wrote:
           | Sounds dystopic to me. I don't always look at the display
           | when typing. Having no way to look away is visual prison to
           | me.
        
             | bogwog wrote:
             | > Having no way to look away is visual prison to me.
             | 
             | This makes the advertisers happy.
        
             | jannyfer wrote:
             | Nowadays you can have a floating display in AR that stays
             | in the same spot, as if it's a physically grounded monitor.
             | You can look away and it stays where it is.
        
       | Zamiel_Snawley wrote:
       | Edit: I now realize that it is actually relativty, without the
       | second 'I'
       | 
       | The relativity.com domain could not have been cheap, even if
       | leased.
       | 
       | I'm surprised they are making a new brand, "Unai"/unison.co,
       | instead of continuing with Relativity.
        
       | jsheard wrote:
       | From the GitHub this is only capable of 3DoF tracking, which puts
       | it in the same category as the defunct Oculus Go headset, or
       | Google Cardboard. 6DoF is really the bare minimum to qualify as
       | proper VR nowadays.
       | 
       | For the uninitiated 3DoF means the headset only tracks the
       | rotation of your head, not your heads absolute position as you
       | move around, while 6DoF tracking does both. 6DoF is also _much_
       | harder to implement.
        
         | aziaziazi wrote:
         | Never understood why my GCardboard couldn't do that, my phone
         | sure has a bunch of accelerometers and giros. Sure higher and
         | other techs can track better but isn't it enough for a basic
         | sense of mouvement? For most of the applications I won't more
         | than a few meter anyway.
         | 
         | Probably some have tried and I'll be curious to know what
         | prevent it.
        
           | jsheard wrote:
           | The problem with accelerometers and gyros is they drift badly
           | if you try to derive absolute positioning from them alone.
           | They need to be fused with some other form of tracking to
           | anchor them in absolute space, which in the case of the Quest
           | and Vision Pro is done with multiple outward-facing cameras
           | fed into a SLAM algorithm.
           | 
           | Maybe Cardboard could have attempted to use the phones camera
           | for SLAM, but a single lens would only have got them so far.
           | Dedicated VR headsets have _at least_ four cameras pointing
           | in different directions, which are sometimes augmented by IR
           | projectors and /or LiDAR.
        
             | bee_rider wrote:
             | Most phones have a couple cameras nowadays... I think the
             | Pro iPhones (some, at least) even have some sort of lidar
             | system that seems like it ought to be helpful? Anyway, it
             | is a shame, I guess the market must not have been there.
        
               | Joel_Mckay wrote:
               | Most phones use a rolling shutter, so doing machine
               | vision for low-latency motion/pose is difficult or
               | unfeasible on a mobile cpu.
               | 
               | Best regards =3
        
               | ben_w wrote:
               | Surely use the accelerometers for real-time/low latency,
               | only use the cameras to correct for drift?
               | 
               | Not that I've tried for VR, but I did already create AR
               | demos 5-6 years ago.
        
               | Joel_Mckay wrote:
               | In general VR is easier for sure, as in AR the latency
               | issues manifest quicker.
               | 
               | The sensor fusion of IMUs is usually not stable very
               | long, but it does mitigate a few of the very noticeable
               | problems with camera trackers.
               | 
               | Still, it always boils down to the power budget... having
               | a 2.6 kg head mounted unit is ludicrous. lol =)
        
             | Joel_Mckay wrote:
             | LADAR/3D-cameras or LIDAR are both expensive parts with
             | limited capabilities. Note rapid pose-recovery using
             | cameras and or SLAM has been tried, but again people end up
             | pooching the CPU/power budget.. and rolling camera shutters
             | are useless... difficult to deploy as a wearable tech.
             | 
             | A few years back, we did design a set of <160USD parts to
             | get repeatable absolute head and controller spacial
             | location/pose to sub +-3mm in a room. The key was being
             | able to resolve stable _absolute_ pose at >24Hz with
             | <10kiB/s of low-latency data to handle. i.e. a small
             | generic mcu _quickly_ handles the dual kalman filters and
             | IMU sensors fusion, and battery life is reasonable.
             | 
             | Now build your own versions, it is not that hard... ask
             | Alphabet/Meta/Apple... lol...
             | 
             | Those new 3D lenticular screens look pretty cool, but the
             | prices are still not for consumer hardware yet.
             | 
             | Best of luck =3
        
             | bigiain wrote:
             | Lots of quadcopter flight controllers use 9DOF IMUs , with
             | 3 gyros, 3 accelerometers, and 3 compasses. The absolute
             | directional data from the compasses solves (at least most
             | of) the angular/gyro drift.
             | 
             | The translational drift is harder for VR/AR headsets
             | indoors. Drones can do sensor fusion with GPS and the
             | accelerometers to solve translational drift from the
             | accelerometers (or, for FPV drones, they just let the
             | meatware compensate).
        
               | RF_Savage wrote:
               | The "9DoF" in IMU datasheets is a marketing term, they
               | just add up all the sensor dimensions they have. Some IMU
               | modules talk about "10DoF" , because they have added a
               | barometer to it.
               | 
               | So even a good "9DoF" IMU is not usable for 6DoF VR, as
               | it still drifts way too much. Sadly the magnetometer in
               | the IMUs suffers from all the magnetic fields generated
               | by the rest of the electronics around it.
               | 
               | This might also be one of the reasons why 9DoF IMUs are
               | increasingly rare on the market.
        
             | needle0 wrote:
             | To be pedantic, two cameras were enough for the headset to
             | track itself (eg. Lenovo Mirage Solo). The reason that
             | headsets nowadays have 4 cameras is for it to also track
             | the hand controllers that are being held by the user and
             | being flung around nearby...which this also seems to lack.
        
           | foobarbecue wrote:
           | Dead reckoning using MEMS IMUs accumulates error way too
           | fast.
        
             | adgjlsfhk1 wrote:
             | even if you supplement with GPS?
        
               | jsheard wrote:
               | That works if you're building a cruise missile, but not
               | so much if you need millimeter accuracy indoors.
        
               | aziaziazi wrote:
               | Ah! So it _could_ 6DoF if I run outdoor fast enough with
               | MarathonSimulator
        
           | nox101 wrote:
           | especially given the camera, it seems like you could do some
           | kind of motion tracking. I guess a Quest has 4 cameras for
           | motion tracking so 1 isn't enough. Though maybe putting a
           | 180degree wide angle lens over it would let it do the work
           | for 4?
        
           | grumbel wrote:
           | See "Pure IMU-based Positional Tracking is a No-go"[1], a
           | position from an IMU starts to drift in a fraction of a
           | second and than shoots off into infinity. Without an absolute
           | reference there is nothing you can do to stop it and the
           | errors will accumulate. It's not just a little bad, it's
           | completely unusable.
           | 
           | A further complication is that the IMUs you find in phones,
           | especially back when all this was new, weren't very good. So
           | even a plain 3DoF experience would suffer from slow response
           | and yaw-drift from lack of magnetometer, which is why GearVR
           | had an extra IMU in the headset and why Daydream required new
           | certified phones with better IMUs.
           | 
           | 3DoF can still be good enough for VR180/360 movies, which
           | don't allow movement to begin with. But as far as gaming is
           | concerned, you really do need 6DoF, as even a bit of leaning
           | forward in a chair will make it instantly obvious that the
           | headset motion and the headset visuals are out of sync.
           | 
           | [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q_8d0E3tDk
        
         | chii wrote:
         | 3dof is sufficient, imho, for a large number of VR use cases,
         | because most people don't have a full room dedicated to it, but
         | is at a desk. Sitdown VR setups would be more common, if the
         | equipment was cheaper.
        
           | atrus wrote:
           | I very much disagree, your view in vr tracking your head as
           | it does small movements in xyz significantly increases
           | immersion, and more importantly, significantly _decreases_
           | motion sickness and fatigue.
        
           | LorenDB wrote:
           | Having experienced both 6DOF and 3DOF on my Quest 3, I can
           | confidently say that 6DOF is leagues ahead even if you are
           | sitting in a chair. Unless you are watching a 180deg
           | stereoscopic video, you'll want to look around to get the
           | full experience, and even the small translation movements
           | that result when you turn around can make the experience
           | nauseating.
           | 
           | Besides, VR is already cheap. A new Quest 3S is just $300 and
           | can do pretty much all of what the $3500 Vision Pro can do
           | (just worse); if you just want VR games you can get used
           | 6DOF-capable PCVR or PSVR headsets on eBay for closer to
           | $100.
        
             | jachee wrote:
             | > Quest3S ... pretty much all of what the ... VisionPro can
             | do
             | 
             | It can't do that "protecting your privacy" thing. And
             | that's a dealbreaker for many, many people.
        
               | snvzz wrote:
               | >And that's a dealbreaker for many, many people.
               | 
               | Yup. The sole reason I haven't bought any of these meta
               | headsets.
               | 
               | They come with strings attached. Or more like, they're
               | fetters and chains.
        
               | renox wrote:
               | Which string exactly? I don't use Facebook.. What data
               | are they going to sell?
        
               | snvzz wrote:
               | >I don't use facebook
               | 
               | But you need an account to use a meta VR set.
        
               | alias_neo wrote:
               | Exactly this.
               | 
               | I'd like to go for something like the 3S but anything
               | Meta is a hard no from me.
               | 
               | I deleted my Oculus account when they took over, and yet
               | somehow I still get Oculus emails from Meta.
        
               | TiredOfLife wrote:
               | Quest is "protecting your privacy" the same amount as
               | VisionPro does.
        
               | 1oooqooq wrote:
               | why i don't have either.
               | 
               | this line of argument don't help the discussion.
               | 
               | both companies report millions from selling your
               | information, so assume they are always amassing loads of
               | it, to sell when the price is convenient for them.
        
               | criddell wrote:
               | > both companies report millions from selling your
               | information
               | 
               | Where can I buy it?
        
               | exe34 wrote:
               | This might help start looking:
               | https://www.forbes.com/sites/metabrown/2015/09/30/when-
               | and-w...
        
               | criddell wrote:
               | Doesn't help at all. I'm looking to buy data collected
               | and sold by Meta and Apple.
        
               | exe34 wrote:
               | I doubt they sell it to individuals. Data brokers is the
               | easiest way. You could always write to them directly and
               | ask.
        
               | Mindwipe wrote:
               | You absolutely can't because neither company does it.
        
               | bornfreddy wrote:
               | This is just a profit calculation though. Do they earn
               | more by keeping and mining this information or by selling
               | it, or both? For now they might not be selling it (I
               | don't know), but that can change before you say "but
               | GDPR...".
        
               | 1oooqooq wrote:
               | you're either too poor or not well connected.
               | 
               | the "accessible" way is to enter a real time "header"
               | biding agreement. but chances are you don't know about it
               | either and is just making noise.
        
               | criddell wrote:
               | Okay, well then let me ask you a question that should be
               | easier to answer: where does Apple report that they make
               | millions from selling user data?
        
               | anonzzzies wrote:
               | > It can't do that "protecting your privacy" thing
               | 
               | Besides 'it's Meta' ; what is it doing with my privacy? I
               | mean actually proven things, not 'probably it is'.
               | 
               | (I am not saying it isn't, but I haven't heard anything
               | in this regard, so it would be interesting to know)
        
               | PaulHoule wrote:
               | As a dev I see Meta made many decisions to respect
               | privacy that constrain the kind of app I make although
               | I've heard these will be somewhat relaxed.
               | 
               | I'd like to place a picture with a QR code in it, have
               | somebody scan the code, then have the option of jumping
               | into a world.
               | 
               | Apps can't access the cameras so you can't write a QR
               | scanner. The Quest has a decent web browser but you can't
               | access the cameras and make a web based QR scanner.
               | 
               | Without access to the cameras apps cannot at all
               | understand the environment and enable you to interact
               | with it. AR apps now have a special module that
               | identifies a physical volume inside your space on a
               | session by session but that's a pale shadow of the SLAM
               | tracking of the Microsoft Hololens and Apple Vision that
               | let you stick a "hologram" into the corner of your office
               | and have it stay there.
               | 
               | Quest 3 devs need more access to make more interesting
               | apps.
        
               | wlesieutre wrote:
               | Vision Pro doesn't let you access the cameras either,
               | being able to stick an app in the corner of your office
               | is handled by the OS. I'd rather not hand out camera
               | access, the problem that needs fixing is the "session by
               | session" part where Meta's OS doesn't maintain permanent
               | app-volumes.
        
           | dmarcos wrote:
           | 6DOf not only necessary for room scale. Lack of parallax of
           | 3DOF a common cause of discomfort for many. I've been in the
           | space for a decade and given hundreds of demos to people.
        
           | Tarks wrote:
           | Also have to hard disagree. I remember going from the Oculus
           | DevKit2 to the Vive, seeing the change in people we'd invite
           | over for "I'm done trying to convince you with words just
           | Come over and try out VR" evenings.
           | 
           | 6DOF, even when sitting, is a significant difference. Your
           | brain immediately feels far more at home with good 6DOF.
           | 
           | Fun fact : one week I spent about 5-6 hours every evening
           | playing Elite Dangerous in VR. Mining asteroids while
           | listening to lofi cyberpunk and pretending that mining was my
           | whole life, it was great. Until my partner would bop me on
           | the back of the head ^_^
        
           | zombiwoof wrote:
           | They also said their mission is for creators. Seems to me 3D
           | is fine for that
        
             | andybak wrote:
             | I don't understand what the word "creator" means in this
             | context or how that's relevant to 3DOF vs 6DOF
        
           | koolala wrote:
           | Close one eye and those sound like TV use cases.
        
           | a2128 wrote:
           | 3DoF without tracked controllers is not VR IMO, it's just a
           | head mounted display. It's not sufficient for any VR use case
           | other than like watching a movie. You won't be able to play
           | any modern VR games. Maybe you'd be able to play old Google
           | Cardboard or Oculus Gear games since those were made with no
           | controllers in mind.
        
             | freeopinion wrote:
             | So, a $200 display? With how many pixels? Is it better than
             | a 29" curved monitor?
        
             | SirMaster wrote:
             | Am I the only one who just wants a great super high res
             | OLED headset just for watching movies?
             | 
             | I want super high res so the quality is comparable to a TV
             | or projector setup, and I want OLED because of contrast
             | performance for dark scenes.
        
               | int_19h wrote:
               | You're not the only one, and there's a separate market
               | for such things, but it's mostly Chinese brands.
               | 
               | I've had pretty good experience with
               | https://goovis.net/products/g3max specifically for movie
               | watching. It has 2560x1440 (per eye) OLED, so not quite
               | 4K; I do hope to see a proper 4K headset like that some
               | day for a reasonable price.
        
               | SirMaster wrote:
               | I am currently using Xreal Air which I got for $200.
               | 
               | https://www.amazon.com/Glasses-Massive-Micro-OLED-
               | Augmented-...
               | 
               | For $200 they are good. They are native 1080p Sony micro-
               | OLED panels. Brightness and contrast are excellent. I got
               | them mainly to use when traveling, but I also use them
               | laying in bed sometimes.
               | 
               | The resolution is higher than it seems because the 1080p
               | is only displayed across about a 40 degree horizontal
               | FOV, so the PPD is actually very high at about 49, which
               | is markedly higher than even something like the Apple
               | Vision Pro. It's also RGB stripe OLED. I cannot see the
               | pixels like I can with VR headsets.
               | 
               | But alas, there are issues that bother me like ghosting
               | and other internal reflections inside the lenses. Though
               | all VR headsets I have tried have these issues which
               | bother me, so I am not sure if that will ever actually be
               | solved to a level that is unnoticeable by me.
               | 
               | The other thing about the glasses is that they don't
               | recreate a theater, and a virtual room, so the apparent
               | size of the virtual screen isn't consistent as it mainly
               | depends on your imagination for how big you imagine it
               | being. If you view a virtual screen in a fully virtual
               | environment like Bigscreen Beta, then you can fully trick
               | your brain into making the virtual screen seem as big as
               | you want, even IMAX sized, and it really does feel like
               | it.
               | 
               | The problem with full VR environment headsets and large
               | FOV over 100 degrees means that the virtual screen only
               | takes up at most about half of the panel, because a 55
               | FOV for a virtual screen on a headset with a 110 FOV is
               | about as big as most people would be comfortable. So then
               | a true 4K per eye headset would still only give you a
               | 1080p victual screen. Though I think this is still a
               | level which is good enough.
        
           | geon wrote:
           | I have absolutely zero interest in 6dof gaming. On the other
           | hand, I dreamt of 3dof gaming since the 90s.
           | 
           | Once the technology started emerging, I was so exited about
           | the potential. A few games gained support for shutter glasses
           | etc, but 6dof was hyped up so much that everyone jumped on
           | that train instead.
        
         | RF_Savage wrote:
         | HadesVR is the 6DoF capable low cost open source VR headset
         | project with an active community.
         | 
         | https://github.com/HadesVR/HadesVR
         | 
         | It is derived from Relativty and the communities overlap.
        
         | aa-jv wrote:
         | Wouldn't it work to duct-tape some LiDar sensors to this,
         | though? I'm thinking of the use-case of building a cockpit for
         | 3D flight sims, such as DCS, etc.
        
         | anonzzzies wrote:
         | I seem to be an anomaly, but I don't mind just having a very
         | large high res screen that moves with my head. The most
         | comfortable I tried is the visionpro, but it's too heavy/big
         | and of course so is the Quest3(s). Xreal (etc) would be perfect
         | if it didn't have the corner issues where you have to stretch
         | to see the corners/bottom. Seems the tech is close for what _I_
         | want at least, but needs a few more iterations. Or maybe I
         | missed something, but I don 't think I did.
        
         | geokon wrote:
         | Is it enough for FPV flying a drone?
        
           | int_19h wrote:
           | You don't need (or want) proper VR for flying an FPV drone;
           | it's just a head-mounted display.
        
         | makomk wrote:
         | Homebrew 6DoF tracking is definitely possible. I've had a janky
         | and undocumented setup for a while that uses a standard
         | smartphone as a display, paper and cardboard AprilTag markers
         | with a computer and webcam for outside-in tracking, and
         | homebuilt controllers. It requires a lot of improvement and is
         | very sensitive to lighting conditions though.
        
       | DarkmSparks wrote:
       | probably better buying a psvr for $150... Great quality headset
       | with solid linux support.
       | 
       | love to see more quest 3s hacking tho ($270)
        
       | paxys wrote:
       | It isn't a $200 headset. It's a headset you have to build
       | yourself (including 3D printing and soldering) with $200 worth of
       | parts. Huge difference between the two.
        
         | nicce wrote:
         | It depends. Do you have paid extra work for the time you would
         | use on building this?
        
           | KPGv2 wrote:
           | Everyone who is capable of building this thing has the option
           | to take on paid extra work doing /something/, even if it's
           | tutoring rich college brats in calculus at $50/hr.
        
             | nicce wrote:
             | I wish that would be the case.
        
               | bornfreddy wrote:
               | More importantly, I fail to see why I would want to do
               | that? I prefer tinkering with this headset for free.
        
           | manfre wrote:
           | All of our time has a value.
        
             | nicce wrote:
             | That is true. But only specific kind of time can be used on
             | acquiring the desired VR headset with specific time/value
             | ratio.
        
             | ctm92 wrote:
             | If you put value on your own time, then everything you
             | build yourself is way more expensive than a product off the
             | shelf. It's about the fun of building it and being able to
             | modify it to your needs.
        
             | dantyti wrote:
             | And building something yourself could be the most valuable
             | way to spend it. For some, it might even be the only
             | respite from the monetization of the entire human
             | experience, i.e., beyond priceless
        
           | vdvsvwvwvwvwv wrote:
           | Yes
        
           | GuB-42 wrote:
           | Even if you don't, as any DIY project, it is still going to
           | cost you more money than the part list would suggest. Mostly
           | because of tooling.
           | 
           | For 3D printing stuff, you obviously need a 3D printer, these
           | aren't free, the maintenance isn't free, the space where you
           | are going to put it isn't free. There are also the basic
           | tools: screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, drill, soldering iron,
           | etc... Also missing are consumables like glue, solder,
           | grease, cleaning agents, etc... and also electricity and gas
           | for shopping. You are also generally expected to have a
           | proper computer.
           | 
           | Sometimes jellybean parts like screws, wires, resistors,
           | etc... are priced, but it is often not the case, as it is
           | difficult to price 2 screws when you can't buy less than 100.
           | 
           | Not the case here but the worst is when a part list include
           | significant parts you are supposed to be salvaged from
           | something you already have. No, I don't have the right broken
           | appliance in my garage and no one has conveniently dropped
           | one in the closest dumpster. So please price it as if I had
           | to buy it.
           | 
           | Of course, someone who is into building stuff most likely
           | have a lot of that already, or maybe is part of a makerspace,
           | but it is unfair to compare what represents a significant
           | investment in time _and_ money to just buying a complete
           | product on Amazon with free shipping and a warranty.
           | 
           | Warranty is another thing to consider, because when something
           | goes wrong with an off the shelf product, if you bought it
           | through a reputable seller (Amazon qualifies), you can
           | normally return it free of charge. If you screw up on your
           | DIY build, which is very common (failed print, bad cut, magic
           | smoke, lose small parts, ...), you get to fix it on your own,
           | savvy people buy spares for that reason, again, not priced
           | in.
        
         | dantyti wrote:
         | Indeed, some people would value a device they'd built
         | themselves at way beyond any monetary number.
         | 
         | Most shockingly, someone might feel that such a device was
         | better than free, more satisfactory and empowering than
         | anything $200 and a ton of time wasted on side hustling could
         | buy!
        
       | andrewmcwatters wrote:
       | It's too expensive. The Meta Quest 3S is $300.
        
         | nicce wrote:
         | Is it possible to use it these days without Facebook account.
        
           | paxys wrote:
           | Can you use any device these days without creating an online
           | account?
        
             | nicce wrote:
             | My monitor does not require online account yet - I don't
             | see why my VR classes should either.
        
               | paxys wrote:
               | Quest headsets aren't monitors and don't get their input
               | from a computer. They are standalone devices with a
               | consumer OS and app store, much like your PC or
               | smartphone.
        
               | nicce wrote:
               | I wonder how it is then mentioned in this context. It is
               | not comparable at all.
        
               | cesarb wrote:
               | > > My monitor does not require online account yet - I
               | don't see why my VR classes should either.
               | 
               | > They are standalone devices with a consumer OS and app
               | store, much like your PC or smartphone.
               | 
               | My PC does not require online account yet - I don't see
               | why my VR glasses should either.
        
           | procone wrote:
           | Yes, you use a meta account that has no ties to Facebook.
           | Mine is under an alias with absolutely no connection to any
           | social feeds or network.
           | 
           | Unless you count Meta Horizon Worlds which is kind of a joke.
        
             | tonyoconnell wrote:
             | Do you leave your phone outside when you use it? Do you use
             | the same wifi? I would find it hard to believe that Meta
             | can't predict who you are.
        
           | TiredOfLife wrote:
           | Has been possible for years.
        
       | webprofusion wrote:
       | This was 4 years ago. The team has now become https://unison.co/
        
         | gpm wrote:
         | Founded 2021, part of YC in 2022, any news on how the product
         | is shaping up?
        
       | interstice wrote:
       | Clicking through the parts list, somewhat wildly <10cm inch 2k
       | displays appear to be available for <$50 now. After a quick look
       | I can't find much north of that in terms of resolution, but
       | surely there has to be _something_ between this and the SOTA 4k+
       | displays going in high end headsets. If those exist then the last
       | major barrier I can think of to DIY is the magic lenses required
       | to make those screens viable when <50mm from an eyeball.
        
       | LarsDu88 wrote:
       | That company name is not easy to remember how to spell.
       | 
       | This will be nice for Maker projects, but I don't see it getting
       | traction without 6DOF
        
       | accrual wrote:
       | Defeat the Index in some metric and get support from VRChat and
       | I'm in 8)
        
         | a2128 wrote:
         | Well it has no controllers nor any controller tracking
         | hardware, so you won't be playing much VRChat with it...
        
       | dang wrote:
       | Related. Others?
       | 
       |  _Relativty - An open-source VR headset_ -
       | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24431052 - Sept 2020 (222
       | comments)
       | 
       |  _Relativ - A VR headset that you can build yourself for $100_ -
       | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16195055 - Jan 2018 (84
       | comments)
        
       | Animats wrote:
       | Here's an overview of current VR hardware.[1] This is by Phia,
       | who is a VR native. She's been trying everything in VR since she
       | was a teenager.
       | 
       | The most recent advance is Bigscreen.[2] Wired headset display,
       | weighs 127 grams, good screens and optics, about US$1000. We're
       | starting to see the end of the brick you wear on your head era.
       | 
       | [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DomfNq0vNCk
       | 
       | [2] https://www.bigscreenvr.com/
        
         | topato wrote:
         | Calling a person "VR native" is perhaps the worst thing ever
         | said. I think "addicted to VR Chat" would be a more apt
         | phrasing.
        
           | solanav wrote:
           | Calling a person "computer/internet/phone native" is perhaps
           | the worst thing ever said. I think "addicted computers/the
           | internet/phones" would be a more apt phrasing.
           | 
           | Sure thing grandpa!
        
             | vel0city wrote:
             | > I think "addicted computers/the internet/phones" would be
             | a more apt phrasing
             | 
             | I mean yeah, I totally agree with "addicted to
             | computers/the internet/phones" as a problem facing a lot of
             | people and should probably be the proper term instead of
             | "internet native".
             | 
             | They were born in meatspace not in VR.
             | 
             | Somoene who spends the majority of their waking hours in
             | Call of Duty or World of Warcraft to the detriment of their
             | real lives aren't CoD or WoW natives; they have a videogame
             | addiction.
        
           | Animats wrote:
           | She grew up with VR, and is comfortable moving around in VR
           | gear. Most people in later life cannot do that.
        
         | plagiarist wrote:
         | I would like to try the Bigscreen but I am far too much of a
         | curmudgeon to send them a scan of my face.
        
           | Animats wrote:
           | Bigscreen is very customized. They have different models for
           | different interpupil distance. The face insert is custom
           | made. Custom corrective lenses can be made and installed. Not
           | even close to one-size-fits-all. This is all good but hard to
           | market.
        
       | lastdong wrote:
       | This project is an awesome way to dive into building your very
       | own VR headset! While it's not the cheapest option out there,
       | it's definitely not too pricey, and the hands-on learning
       | experience you'll gain makes it totally worth it. I can totally
       | see high school or college classes, as well as hardware clubs,
       | taking this on as a fun side project that will really engage
       | students. Any other websites with open source hardware projects
       | out there?
        
       | amelius wrote:
       | Where do you buy the lenses?
        
       | PaulHoule wrote:
       | "We started Relativty because after watching Sword Art Online we
       | wanted to make our own VR games."
        
       | bastloing wrote:
       | These things make me sick. Can't wait for that to get solved.
        
       | mclightning wrote:
       | built something like this around 10 years ago, went viral for a
       | while, it didn't last long.
        
       | bArray wrote:
       | I see they are building out a company around this [1], where
       | there is an investors section.
       | 
       | Biggest advice to this team is to get there quickly. Half the
       | people in this comments section would bite your hand off for your
       | product _as is_.
       | 
       | [1] https://unison.co/
        
         | alfiedotwtf wrote:
         | That was so weird...
         | 
         | "We are building virtual reality"
         | 
         | Wow cool, tell me more
         | 
         | "Here's a webpage that reads like a prospectus"
         | 
         | But what about the glasses?
         | 
         | "Want to see our cap table?"
        
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