Benz145 - Slashdot User

Submission + - Experiment Shows Stylized Rendering Enhances Presence in Immersive AR (roadtovr.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 02, 2014 @12:31PM

An anonymous reader writes: William Steptoe, a senior researcher in the Virtual Environments and Computer Graphics group at University College London, published a paper detailing experiments dealing with the seamless integration of virtual objects into a real scene. Participants were tested to see if they could correctly identify which objects in the scene were real or virtual. With standard rendering, participants were able to correctly guess 73% of the time. Once a stylized rendering outline was applied, accuracy dropped to 56% (around change) and even further to 38% as the stylized rendering was increased. Less accuracy means users were less able to tell the difference between real and virtual objects. Steptoe says that this blurring of real and virtual can increase 'presence', the feeling of being truly present in another space, in immersive augmented reality applications.

Submission + - Update to 'VorpX' 3D Injection Driver Brings Oculus Rift DK2 Support to Skyrim, (roadtovr.com)

Submitted by Benz145 on Monday August 04, 2014 @04:53PM

Benz145 writes: The much anticipated Oculus Rift DK2 VR headset is just starting to reach backers and enthusiasts. Users are early searching for every bit of DK2-compatible content they can get their hands on. VorpX, a 3D injection driver that makes non-VR games compatible for the Oculus Rift, is soon to release an update which will make many popular titles compatible with the DK2, like BioShock: Infinite, Battlefield 4, and Skyrim. A new video shows experimental positional tracking support for the DK2 in Skyrim.

Submission + - The Oculus Rift DK2, In-Depth Review and DK1 Comparison (roadtovr.com)

Submitted by Benz145 on Monday July 28, 2014 @07:27AM

Benz145 writes: The hotly anticipated Oculus Rift DK2 has begun arriving at doorsteps. The DK2s enhancements include optical positional tracking and a higher resolution panel, up from 1280×800 to 1920×1080 (1080p) and moved to a pentile-matrix OLED panel for display duties. This means higher levels of resolvable detail and a much reduced screen door effect. The panel features low persistence of vision, a technology pioneered by Valve that aims to cut motion artefacts by only displaying the latest, most correct display information relative to the user’s movements – as users of the DK1 will attest, its LCD panel was heavily prone to smearing, things are now much improved with the DK2.

Submission + - Google Adds Virtual Reality Street View Mode to Google Maps for Android (roadtovr.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 28, 2014 @06:23PM

An anonymous reader writes: With the launch of Google’s Cardboard VR smartphone adapter at Google I/O 2014 earlier this week, the company hopes to kickstart VR development for Android. In addition to the Cardboard app, Google has pushed out and updated version of Google Maps which includes a VR mode for Street View.

Submission + - Walkmouse is an Elegant, Motorised Omni-Directional Treadmill Built for VR (roadtovr.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 27, 2014 @08:30AM

An anonymous reader writes: Road to VR take a look at a new omni-direction treadmill with no harness that lets you move untethered through a virtual environment.

"The device houses 100s of motorised spirals which detect traction and respond by spinning under your feet to simulate the ground moving underneath them. At the same time, the unit reads input data from your actions which can be fed into an application or game experience."

Submission + - Sneak Peek at Black Mass, A VR Horror Short By Director of Paranormal Activity 5 (roadtovr.com)

Submitted by muterobert on Friday June 13, 2014 @06:59PM

muterobert writes: Road to VR's Ben Lang gets an exclusive viewing of the first made-for-VR horror movies, Black Mass:

"The short snippet of Jaunt’s horror experience that I saw opened with me in the middle of some sort of storage room. Haphazardly organized materials and tools were strewn around the area. In front of me was a young girl in a white dress, maybe 10 years old. She was staring right at me; I wasn’t just an observer, I was to be a participant in this experience. “I think you’re bleeding,” she said."

Submission + - Killing Zombies in VR with the Latest Version of Project Holodeck at E3 2014 (roadtovr.com)

Submitted by muterobert on Wednesday June 11, 2014 @08:36AM

muterobert writes: Ben Lang from Road to VR goes hands on and heads in with virtual reality technology company Survios' newest version of untethered VR system 'Prime 3'. He moves around the virtual space, holding and reloading weapons as you would in real life.

"At one point while playing, I was wielding the shotgun with two hands, with the table of weapons was on my right side. Several zombies were approaching and I needed a bit more fire power. I dropped the shotgun, reached over with my right hand to grab the tommy gun off the table, then virtually tossed it from my right hand to my left hand (because I’m a lefty), then pulled my pistol out of the holster with my right hand and continued to shoot both weapons."

Submission + - E3 2014: First Look GameFace Labs Mark 5 Prototype, VR Never Looked So Good (roadtovr.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 10, 2014 @10:15AM

An anonymous reader writes: Let me tell you, 2.5K virtual reality is gorgeous.

Even since I first put my head into Nick Pittom’s Spirited Away VR – Boiler Room Scene, I’ve been dying to see it at a resolution that did it justice. With the demo running on the GameFace Mark 5, that wish was finally answered. In my brief time with the Mark 5 prototype, the screen door effect seemed largely eliminated.

Submission + - Control VR is the Virtual Reality Data Glove You Always Wanted (roadtovr.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 05, 2014 @06:52PM

An anonymous reader writes: ... another solution has launched and it bears more resemblance to how you always imagined your VR gear to look. Control VR is a motion / gesture capture system comprising motion sensors and unique (at present in the consumer space at least) data gloves which track your upper body and finger movement at rotational accuracy, Control VR claim, down to the 10th of a degree.

Submission + - Tegra K1 Powered Mobile VR Headset Heading to E3 with Front-facing Depth Camera

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 26, 2014 @02:34PM

An anonymous reader writes: GameFace Labs, the company working on an Android-based mobile VR headset, revealed that they'll be bringing their latest 'Mark 5 prototype' to be shown at E3 (http://bit.ly/1oAQ2kq). After being the first to show a VR headset with a 2.5k display (http://bit.ly/1odi6MW), GameFace's new prototype will be built around the Android-based Tegra K1 'Super Chip' and include a front-facing depth camera, custom optics, HDMI-out, micro-USB, and 3.5mm headphone port. GameFace plans to launch a developer kit of their mobile VR headset by the end of 2014.

Submission + - Duo Sneak an Oculus Rift Onto Roller Coaster for a Wild Ride (roadtovr.com) 1

Submitted by bobbrocolli on Friday May 09, 2014 @05:11PM

bobbrocolli writes: Equipped with a hidden laptop and Oculus Rift, O’Driscoll may be the first person to have ever gone on a ‘Real VR’ roller coaster with perfect motion feedback. The duo’s system displayed a virtual version of the exact same roller coaster that O’Driscoll and Forder were on. With some practice they managed to sync the virtual reality roller coaster to the real rollercoaster.

Submission + - Billionaire 'Shark Tank' Investor Mark Cuban Flip-flops on Virtuix Omni, Joins $ (roadtovr.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 24, 2014 @06:13AM

An anonymous reader writes: After initially shunning the product during an appearance on ABC’s investment reality show, Shark Tank, billionaire investor Mark Cuban joins other venture capitalists in raising $3 million in seed funding for the Virtuix Omni VR treadmill.

Submission + - Indie Developer Crashes PAX East With an Oculus Rift and Draws Huge Crowds (roadtovr.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 19, 2014 @03:33PM

An anonymous reader writes: [James thought] he'd try his luck at some guerilla PR tactics and crash PAX East with his trusty Oculus Rift and demo rig in tow. After many laps of the PAX East Show floor, James was about ready to give up and go home, but on his final round he spotted a demo station with one lone occupant and his Oculus Rift. This was his chance.

Submission + - Build a Smartphone VR Headset That Plays Oculus Rift Games and More for $20 (roadtovr.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 19, 2014 @02:36AM

An anonymous reader writes: Not everyone can drop a few hundred dollars on a VR headset, but that doesn’t mean they can’t experience VR! For those with the time and a bit of handiwork skill, this DIY guide from guest writer Ohaple will show you how to make a smartphone-based VR headset for as little as $20. Along the way, you’ll learn the hardware and software basics of a VR headset.

Submission + - GameFace Labs Has VR Headset on the Block with 2K Display -- and it's mobile (roadtovr.com)

Submitted by oldmildog on Tuesday April 08, 2014 @04:15PM

oldmildog writes: GameFace Labs may very well be the furthest along in the quest to create a mobile VR headset. Based on Android, GameFace Labs has been working hard to iterate on their prototypes, their latest is the first VR headset (mobile or tethered) to include a 2k display, with 78% more pixels than 1080p based VR headsets like the Oculus Rift DK2.

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