DIY YouTuber builds cheap VR headset and makes it open-source

Comments

• FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au ⁨2⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  While this is awesome and extremely impressive, a Quest 2/3 is significantly better than this with far more functionality and would be able to be purchased for the same price and with zero short or skill required to put together.

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  • REDACTED@infosec.pub ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago

    But mom, Meta

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• utopiah@lemmy.world ⁨21⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  It’s always cool to see such projects, and I was discussing about the topic just yesterday.

  … but please, don’t spend $150 on that. This is limited has it has :

  • no controllers (and gamepads aren’t spatial),
  • no hand tracking (which would be spatial),
  • no 6DoF, so you can’t move your head or body around, just turn your head around
  • a very limited software stack, e.g. no OpenXR (AFAICT),
  • a cable to be plugged to a computer, i.e. it’s not standalone

  so it’s basically a more open but not standalone version of the Oculus Go. For context the Go is from 2018 and back then was $200 while being standalone. Note also that the Go is rootable, cf developers.meta.com/…/unlocking-oculus-go/

  There are also other DIY VR HMDs, e.g. github.com/relativty/Relativty from 2020 which similar limitations. In fact this made so much buzz back then the founder managed to ride the hype and make (sadly) a VC funded startup. I say sadly because the initial project was all open VR and openness but once the money was locked-in… well I let you check.

  So… again this is VERY cool to build but please do not consider this anything but a way to learn. If you do want to play with VR with a limited budget consider instead an accountless (meaning no Meta involved) second hand Meta 2.

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  • IzzyJ@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    How would I use a meta 2 without an account?

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    • FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au ⁨2⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      Make a throwaway account……

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  • Evotech@lemmy.world ⁨20⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    But can I watch porn

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    • utopiah@lemmy.world ⁨19⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      If you go down that path check buttplug.io because the fun does not have to stop with just vision!

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    • Honytawk@feddit.nl ⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      You can do that with a phone in a cardboard box

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  • LiveLM@lemmy.zip ⁨13⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    The lack of controllers is the biggest impediment to these “Homemade VR” projects.
    You might as well slap your phone in a Cardboard VR and use ALVR, and you’ll be surprised at how convincing it is, but you’ll quickly find there aren’t many games worth playing with the standard gamepad.

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    • tomkatt@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      Basic headset would be good for sim racing.

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  • MyNameIsIgglePiggle@sh.itjust.works ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    Might as well just chuck a phone in a cardboard box

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    • Valmond@lemmy.world ⁨14⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      Have tried, works better than expected IMO.

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  • Fmstrat@lemmy.world ⁨14⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    The reason this reminds you of Relativity is because that’s what it is with modifications.

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  • utopiah@lemmy.world ⁨19⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    PS: for those who remember back then Relativty it became Unai then unison.co which according to LinkedIn (so take it via a grain of salt) when from 30 employees Image and maybe more importantly hasn’t delivered anything I’m aware of. In itself that’s no big deal, startups do that, but it’s definitely quite far from the initial openness debut.

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  • utopiah@lemmy.world ⁨21⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    Note that despite the lack of OpenXR support by relying on github.com/relativty/Relativty#14-software-setup they might support some SteamVR games. That said, again, it’s 6DoF and outdated so which actual games would be fun, not just playable, is a different question.

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• Fmstrat@lemmy.world ⁨14⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Credit where credit is due: github.com/relativty/Relativty

  He basically built (and advanced) Relativity’s open source headset.

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• Yttra@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  I wonder how this compares to Mañolo’s HadesVR/PersephoneVR setup… I think they have 6DoF and use lights embedded in golf balls to act as PS Move sensors

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  • Dojan@pawb.social ⁨4⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    It’s more or less two little screens behind fresnel lenses attached to an IMU.

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• Damage@feddit.it ⁨17⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Oh FFS stop designing things I can and want to build

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  • winkerjadams@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    If only I had a room to dedicate to it :(

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• verdi@feddit.org ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  TFW you’ve been playing IL Sturmowik II for past 20y with track IR and subsequently opentrack , and not even Oculus has achieved a similar low latency functional solution yet…

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  • cley_faye@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    SteamVR/Lighthouse tracking is pretty fast and accurate.

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    • xthexder@l.sw0.com ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      Yeah, I’d expect this to be similar latency and accuracy. Lighthouse can do full 6dof tracking at a room scale too, not just sitting head tracking for a seated position like it seems opentrack does

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• Kolanaki@pawb.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

  I am wondering about the software side. Is it just a glorified monitor for your face, or does it have some kind of internal control like a Quest or other commercial headset?

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  • rollin@piefed.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

    It seems to only have an Arduino as processor, so presumably the former i.e. you need a PC to plug this into. It seems to have highly simplified tracking compared to something like a Quest - a single Inertial Measurement Unit. All enough for sim racing which is this guy’s jam, but I wonder how well the tracking stays calibrated.

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    • Creat@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

      The critical thing with these is response time. If it’s even slightly too high (I think 20-30ms is easily too high), some/many people get very motion sick. Getting that time down as low as needed is also not trivial.

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    • FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

      I’m wondering if I wanted to fly a jet, would I need another sensor for 3 dimensional tracking

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  • boydster@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

    Looks like it has an inertial sensor to control the view, here’s there relevant bit from the article:

    The parts he purchased online include two displays that max out at 2880×1440p and 90 Hz refresh rate, two lenses, an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) sensor, and an Arduino microcontroller board. The other parts of the headset were 3D-printed.
    …
    The headset features individually adjustable IPD, interchangeable faceplates, and head tracking. But it does have downsides — at full resolution, it only runs at 60 Hz. Also, it only has three degrees of freedom (3DoF), which means it tracks looking up and down, left and right, and tilting the head left and right. He explained he didn’t bother equipping it with 6DoF as 3DoF was enough for his sim racing.

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  • utopiah@lemmy.world ⁨21⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    It relies on the Relativity VR driver so theoretically similar software support, namely github.com/relativty/Relativty#14-software-setup but mind you beside being 5 years old this is 3DoF, no controller or hand tracking, whereas the Quest is 6DoF, namely you can move around, not just turn your head.

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• BD89@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

  This is so damn cool I want to throw one together just to tinker with it.

  This has been the best year for VR as a whole.

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  • mojofrododojo@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

    This has been the best year for VR as a whole.

    am a fan and vr dev… but this hasn’t been the greatest year personally. what’s made it a highlight for you? perhaps another perspective will help!

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    • LastYearsIrritant@sopuli.xyz ⁨23⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      Well, for one, some YouTubers made a cheap, open source VR headset. That was pretty neat.

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    • BD89@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨20⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      As another user said Linux comparability has been huge the past couple of years.

      And PSVR2 has had some amazing games out that have completely changed the way I experience VR. And they also opened up their headset to PC via steam with an external dongle.

      Mainly the accessibility has been at an all time high. But the games that have come out lately too are amazing. I can even do cross play multiplayer with many different headsets now which is also super cool

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• Tarquinn2049@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

  Overall is that even a deal over a used headset? Even a fully featured non-stripped down one? Like given what features his headset does have, it’s comparable to some pretty old headsets… and it likely does even those bare minimum features more poorly than an older used headset would. Not to mention comfort.

  Like a 10 year old Rift CV1 has almost as much resolution at 90hz/fps instead of 60. And while it’s lenses would be relatively terrible now, they were pretty much the best option of their day, and likely still better than whatever this dude sourced. Not to mention their motion to photon was around 12 ms. The absolute best result this guy can hope for is 16.6ms, and that’s only if everything else in the pipeline is faster than the screens refresh rate… maybe it is… but I wouldn’t bet on it personally.

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  • utopiah@lemmy.world ⁨21⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    No, it’s not a deal. It’s only about learning IMHO and that’s already be great.

    In fact it’s such a “bad” deal that I replied a bit in depth. My goal isn’t to bring the project down, heck I’m even envious about being able to do all that, but rather that people curious about VR don’t get confused. This is nearly a decade outdated and there are better open solutions, e.g. Lynx or even Meta Quest 2 without account IMHO.

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• Evil_Shrubbery@thelemmy.club ⁨21⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Huh, this is kinda prefect for me too, only the refresh rate might be an issue.

  I wonder if I could buy cheap no-name headset & fit in that arduino chippy.

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