Friday, September 21, 2007

The VR920 takes graphics to a new experience level
By Michael Lafferty

“Being 3D and interactive are big wins … you can’t get that from a direct-view monitor”

If there seems to be one constant in the computer world, technology marches on, creating better machines that eclipse those only a couple of years old by a great deal. This is a good thing. … well, Ok, maybe not for those who bought a new rig and have it immediately outdated … but I digress.

As a result of improvements to hardware, peripherals are challenged to keep pace. Not only does this involve headphones, but monitors, the mouse, keyboards and so on. Some developers are even working on peripheral devices that wander down new paths.

When it comes to goggles, exploring the 3D realm is not new territory. Several companies have tried, and the results have been mixed. The folks at Vuzix (http://www.vuzix.com/iwear-vr920.html), though, think they have gotten it right.

How? Well, GameZone was eager to find out as well and had a conversation with Paul Travers, CEO and president of the company, who was in Tokyo for the Tokyo Game Show.

First and foremost, how did you ensure that these glasses will fit comfortably on all heads? As you are aware, most gamers play for extended hours, and not just a few minutes here and there. Tell me how the glasses have been designed for prolonged wear.

Paul: This has been a work in progress since our efforts all the way back to the Head Mounted Display days. You are correct, the VR920 needs to be comfortable, but they also need to work for a very large proportion of the population from North Americans to Asians. Both of these requirements often conflict with each other. Here is where we are at today:

• The VR920s optics have a very good accommodation “eye relief” and “eye box.” This allows for a great image weather your eyes are close together or far apart. There are no adjustments needed.

• These optics and the VR920 platform have been designed to work with glasses. This alleviates any of the issues with astigmatism, etc.

• The optics module on the front of the VR920 tilt +/- 15 degrees to allow the user to adjust where the display image is. This allows for easy typing or looking over the top of the iWear.

• Weight is a critical factor so we have pushed very hard on keeping it down. The VR920 is one of our lightest units considering all its capabilities.

• The nose bridge (which supports the bulk of the weight has gone through many iterations. In fact, by the end of October our newest bridge will be shipping with the VR920. It is field upgradeable also. This new bridge is incredibly comfortable and works much better with glasses and across the population.

• Kroakes have also been added to the temples to help support and hold the VR920s during those intense moments.

• We also offer a smaller (user upgradeable) temple for smaller head and use on the pillow at night.

• Finally, we also have optional shields that can be used by those that want the fully immersive experience. These shields block out everything but the display scene.

What are the advantages of the glasses over a monitor screen? And why would a player wish to select wearing virtual reality glasses as opposed to playing the more traditional way?

Paul: The VR920 has many advantages over a direct view screen. First consider the tracking function. With it, the user no longer presses a button to look around or uses the mouse. They simply look. You can not do this with a normal monitor. It is an uncanny experience looking around in the cockpit of a plane just by looking. It is so natural that you feel as though you are sitting in the plane. You do not get this with a monitor. It does not matter how high the resolution or its size. Also, the VR920 is a 3D display. So the cockpit that you are looking around in is actually there in front of you. With FSX most of these cockpits are fully animated. i.e. you push the throttle and you see the controls move. In 3D the levers are right there and as they move you almost feel as if you reached in and grabbed them. Again you can’t get this with a direct view screen. You really need to try this to understand the experience advantage.

Let me try to paint the picture: Imagine that you are in a fighter plane and you need to see where the plane you are fighting is coming from. Somewhere, up there, he is heading for you. With a direct-view screen you are desperate to get your bearings and looking around is clumsy effort of button presses and mouse motions. There simply is no other way. With the VR920 it is as natural as being in the plane……you simply look up and to your right over the wing……presto there he is. Just like a real dog fight. This is not just an advantage but it truly adds something to the experience that you can’t get anywhere else.

Most optometrists – at least once upon a time – equated weakening eyes with sitting too close to screens. How do these glasses address the problem of players having the optics so close to the eyes to ensure that the eyes are not effected from prolonged exposure to the emissions? And how do they block out peripheral light that might interfere with picture quality?

Paul: This is a good question. The VR920 does not actually have the screen directly in front of the user’s eyes. The images that the user sees are virtual screens that have been place about 7 – 9 feet away. Literally they look to the user as if they were sitting and focusing on a 62-inch screen 9 feet away. The optics design emulates that experience. Testing has shown that the strain on the user’s eyes is no different. In fact, it is probably better than sitting in front of your monitor at 18 – 23 inches.

As for peripheral light, the VR920 is designed to be a semi-immersive device. We want people to be able to see around the iWear so they can type and to also have a “foot” in the real world. To minimize glare from the real world we have added AR coatings to the windows. We also offer an immersive shield, mentioned earlier, that fully blocks out the real world for those that like the experience.

What do these glasses do that you consider superior, in terms of graphics rendering, to traditional monitors?

Paul: Being 3D and interactive are big wins … you can’t get that from a direct-view monitor. They are also personal. Meaning people can’t look over your shoulder. This can be a big plus for people working in public place. Oh yes, they are also portable. Unlike the desktop monitor that needs to be plugged into the wall to get that big screen experience. The VR920 just needs USB and a VGA connection.

Will these glasses work with any game, or are they only geared to work in concert with a supported list?

Paul: We support the nVidia graphics cards consumer 3D functions. So for 3D (if you have nVidia), there are hundreds of titles ready to go. On the tracking side we have a growing list of titles and there is a third party Joystick and mouse emulator already available. We also have an SDK (Software Developers Kit) that allows developers to put native mode support in their title. This SDK supports the tracking and 3D functions. We have already sent out over 150. So I look forward to the pile of titles that are coming.

Ok, let’s take it to the extreme: a player wants to really have a secluded game space so they get the glasses, but what about audio. With technology pushing 5.1 and 7.1 headphones, can a player use the two peripheral devices in concert comfortably?

Paul: Ok, extreme it is. The VR920 does support these 3D functions and in fact as you turn your head the direction the sound is coming from changes. For example, you’re in WoW and you’re using Ventrillo. You hear someone talking to your far right and behind you. You turn you had and bingo there they are and the person that was behind you now sounds like they are to your right. Just like the real world. Oh yes … .the earphones are also removable. If you like your high-end sound system or want noise canceling it is your choice.

Do you feel that the glasses sell themselves or is there an educational process that has to take place to teach the consumer about the viability and practicality of using eyewear like this?

Paul: We think that seeing is believing and that is probably the biggest challenge. Once someone flies a plane in FSX or races a car in R-factor they do not want to go back to the old way of playing. BUT the user needs to know what they are missing before they miss it.  Word of mount will be important here. The forums and blogs are starting to talk quite a bit about the benefits of the VR920. I believe that this will continue as more and more people experience the VR920 and as more titles come out for people to enjoy.

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