DIY YouTuber builds cheap VR headset and makes it open-source (www.notebookcheck.net)
from tonytins@pawb.social to technology@lemmy.world on 13 Oct 22:26
https://pawb.social/post/33137155

#technology

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Kolanaki@pawb.social on 13 Oct 22:29 next collapse

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/OS like a Quest or other commercial headset?

boydster@sh.itjust.works on 13 Oct 22:42 next collapse

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.

rollin@piefed.social on 13 Oct 22:43 next collapse

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.

Creat@discuss.tchncs.de on 13 Oct 23:41 next collapse

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.

With it only being 60 Hz on the controller itself, that’s basically impossible to hit. That’s 16.6 ms already. Then the processing, sending to the PC, and the PC reacting has a budget of just a few ms? Yea, not happening.

I’m assuming he’s really not sensitive to this. As it’s open source now the people who are sensitive can improve it. That’s the beauty of open source after all.

RebekahWSD@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 02:58 next collapse

Normal video games can make me motion sick so I can only imagine how bad this might be! Maybe in the future it’ll get better!

BoxOfFeet@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 19:48 collapse

I bet I could use it. I can play the VirtualBoy in a moving car. If there’s any kind of way to tie it into MechWarrior, I want to build one.

FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 01:16 collapse

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

utopiah@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 04:44 collapse

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.

BD89@lemmy.sdf.org on 13 Oct 23:04 next collapse

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.

mojofrododojo@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 01:09 collapse

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 me!

LastYearsIrritant@sopuli.xyz on 14 Oct 02:32 next collapse

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

mojofrododojo@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 02:46 collapse

just hope we see deckard this year.

utopiah@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 04:42 collapse
vividspecter@aussie.zone on 14 Oct 02:41 next collapse

Linux support has made some decent strides, particularly with the open source monado / wivrn + xrizer stack (steamvr / alvr still have their issues but are getting better).

mojofrododojo@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 02:46 collapse

I’m quite curious to see how quest 3 works with godot & openxr, apparently they have a build you can run on android inside the quest 3 and do vr-dev in vr.

utopiah@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 04:41 collapse

Indeed, I made a video about that but unfortunately in French video.benetou.fr/w/g111LSRGfj6HmNxa91au3q

mojofrododojo@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 05:06 collapse

but unfortunately in French

nay, merci boucoup, my 9th grade french will make due! or the auto translate which is always fun!

utopiah@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 06:00 collapse

Feel free to ask questions but you can also seek to video.benetou.fr/w/g111LSRGfj6HmNxa91au3q?start=3… directly which is the part with the live, in HMD, edition.

mojofrododojo@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 06:22 collapse

tyvm!

BD89@lemmy.sdf.org on 14 Oct 05:43 collapse

As another user said Linux compatibility 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.

Tarquinn2049@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 00:38 next collapse

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.

I’m sure it was a fun project though.

utopiah@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 04:47 collapse

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.

Evil_Shrubbery@thelemmy.club on 14 Oct 04:14 next collapse

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.

utopiah@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 04:39 next collapse

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 then Alvr or WiVRn (cf lvra.gitlab.io for more).

utopiah@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 04:45 next collapse

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.

Evotech@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 05:13 next collapse

But can I watch porn

utopiah@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 06:03 next collapse

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

Damage@feddit.it on 14 Oct 08:11 next collapse

This is hilarious

Grass@sh.itjust.works on 14 Oct 09:59 next collapse

you know when you don’t click the link but its so well named that you probably already know exactly what it is and what features it has?

utopiah@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 12:05 collapse

Believe me it’s even more than you imagine!

MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip on 14 Oct 08:39 collapse
Honytawk@feddit.nl on 14 Oct 10:20 collapse

You can do that with a phone in a cardboard box

utopiah@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 06:18 next collapse

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) went from 30 employees a year ago to half of that now <img alt="" src="https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/8ffed8d0-d49a-4ebb-af9a-2f81183d83bc.png"> 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.

MyNameIsIgglePiggle@sh.itjust.works on 14 Oct 09:10 next collapse

Might as well just chuck a phone in a cardboard box

Valmond@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 11:39 collapse

Have tried, works better than expected IMO.

Fmstrat@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 10:54 next collapse

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

LiveLM@lemmy.zip on 14 Oct 12:31 next collapse

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 VR games worth playing with the standard gamepad.

tomkatt@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 14:40 collapse

Basic headset would be good for sim racing.

IzzyJ@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 22:28 next collapse

How would I use a meta 2 without an account?

FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au on 14 Oct 23:03 next collapse

Make a throwaway account……

utopiah@lemmy.world on 15 Oct 05:15 collapse

For now you have to use non open-source software PrivateQuest to pair it. I recommend to factory reset it first but anyway instructions are there, can be a bit finicky but does work.

I’ve read that some are trying to port it to GadgetBridge which would be ideal.

Sektor@lemmy.world on 15 Oct 13:11 collapse

Still good enough for driving and flying sims.

utopiah@lemmy.world on 15 Oct 13:40 collapse

I think it’s good enough for learning and doing something weird but Meta Quest 1 or 2 cost less (just checked 2nd hand local website and saw a few for 100€) and require 0 hardware work while providing 6DoF (leaning just a tad in your cockpit? Huge difference) and higher refresh rate.

Again, it’s amazing to tinker but unless it’s part of a both technical and ethical adventure then I believe there are better options out there already.

Sektor@lemmy.world on 16 Oct 09:51 collapse

Those who want to use vr will buy, sometimes it’s not about destination but about the journey. And this can inspire someone to further improve on design and maybe makes it even more user friendly, cheap and with no strings to shitty corpos.

utopiah@lemmy.world on 16 Oct 10:05 collapse

Sure, that’s literally how I started both comments but I can try to clarify a bit more my point : if you want to “just” use, this isn’t great, but if you enjoy building itself, it might be even better.

FWIW I do both, including professionally, so I definitely get the point of making a headset, or anything really (I even do a bit of woodworking and welding) yourself or building thanks to the previous projects of others. I’m definitely NOT suggesting it shouldn’t be attempted. I’m solely warning people who are solely, or even mostly, interested in a usable object while investing minimum effort in.

Damage@feddit.it on 14 Oct 08:09 next collapse

Oh FFS stop designing things I can and want to build

winkerjadams@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 14 Oct 10:35 collapse

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

Fmstrat@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 10:52 next collapse

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

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

verdi@feddit.org on 14 Oct 15:00 next collapse

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…

cley_faye@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 21:13 next collapse

SteamVR/Lighthouse tracking is pretty fast and accurate.

xthexder@l.sw0.com on 14 Oct 21:57 next collapse

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

utopiah@lemmy.world on 15 Oct 13:32 collapse

Absolutely, best tracking system out there… but also you need to bolt stuff on the wall. Inside-out tracking meanwhile… well you just open up your backpack, put the HMD on and voila. Different trade offs for different usages.

cley_faye@lemmy.world on 15 Oct 23:36 collapse

I just set them on shelves, but yeah, it requires a bit of setup and a delimited play area.

Sektor@lemmy.world on 15 Oct 13:12 collapse

That’s Ill 2 Sturmovik.

Yttra@lemmy.world on 14 Oct 20:52 next collapse

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

Dojan@pawb.social on 14 Oct 21:15 collapse

It’s more or less two little screens behind fresnel lenses attached to an IMU. It’s really cool, but no golf balls or anything like that. He seems to only use it for a racing rig.

FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au on 14 Oct 22:57 collapse

While this is awesome and the tinkerer in me appreciates and respects the effort, a Quest Go/1/2/3 is significantly better than this with far more functionality and would be able to be purchased for the same price, or less, and with zero work or skill required to put together.

REDACTED@infosec.pub on 15 Oct 00:26 next collapse

But mom, Meta

Petter1@discuss.tchncs.de on 15 Oct 12:28 collapse

Because you pay with data. Quest is the first device, where meta has full control over the Operation System, and even beyond.

You are forced to have a meta account to use it, IRCC

utopiah@lemmy.world on 15 Oct 13:27 next collapse

You did but not anymore :

  • Go can be rooted officially
  • Quest 1/2/3/3s can be used without account thanks to PrivateQuest
  • Quest 3 v78 (not newer OS version) can be rooted via a hack

So yes, by default you are paying with data. In fact IMHO if possible one should not rely on Meta hardware. That being said if you get e.g. a 2nd hand Quest 2 or 3 and use it without an account then you might be providing little to no money to Meta and no data. It’s not trivial but it’s feasible. Arguably it’s even easy for somebody who seriously consider such an endeavor of assembling their own HMD.

PS: Meta has access to the whole device but… they are not owning the OS itself, it’s still an Android device. The OS is very much driven by Google. In fact it’s quite interesting to consider that Meta failed to develop their own OS and that Google is shipping soon AndroidXR.

anotherspinelessdem@lemmy.ml on 15 Oct 19:06 collapse

Ah, so you make up the difference with your labor

FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au on 15 Oct 21:55 collapse

You know you can make throwaway meta accounts, don’t you? You don’t have to give it your real details and add all your friends.