GADGET GIZMO SPECIAL....... Google Cardboard: Your Affordable Entry into Virtual Reality

GADGET GIZMO SPECIAL Google Cardboard: Your Affordable Entry into Virtual Reality

It’s cheap, made of cardboard, usually comes flat packed in an envelope (2 minute assembly required) and works with your existing Android phone using free apps. And yet, this decidedly low tech wearable can transport you into another world – a virtual one – without the use of expensive headgear, overpriced software or supercomputers.

When Google announced their plans for Cardboard at the annual Google I/O conference this year, there was a fair bit of scepticism. How could a piece of cardboard be used as an effective virtual reality (VR) headset? After all, companies like Oculus VR had spent millions developing the Rift – an advanced, head mounted display with applications in 3D gaming, virtual tours and so on.

However, the Rift is not yet available for consumers (the planned launch is sometime in 2015, without a confirmed date) and it will probably be priced upwards of US$ 400. You can build your own cardboard or buy one online from as less as Rs 120 (from places like DX.com or Aliexpress.com). If you prefer not to wait for international shipping, you can buy versions from eBay India (Rs 540 onwards) or Amazon India (Rs 900 onwards).

Google provides detailed instructions on how to make Cardboard – including stencils for cutting out the shapes (you can use pizza boxes) and specifications on the two simple lenses you need (plastic biconvex lenses, with a 45mm focal length). The plans include a magnet button that interacts with the phone using the magnetometer – you slide it to ‘click’ on whatever you are viewing.

Here’s how it works. First, you need to build or buy one of the kits – larger phones with 5.5-inch screens or more might need a larger size. The kit has a slot for a phone which places the screen in front of the lenses. Next, you download the official Google Cardboard app which has multiple VR demos built in. Fire up the app and you’re in! Cardboard works well with high-end Android phones and some iPhones with iOS 8.

Apart from Google’s own app, you can download many other free VR games, virtual tours, roller coaster POV (point of view) animations and so on. The apps use the phone’s gyroscope to track the movement of your head and accordingly move the virtual display in tandem. Possibilities are increasing as more developers jump on board the VR bandwagon.

Sure, there are downsides. For instance, the field of view offered by Cardboard is not as high as a ‘proper’ VR headset. Even Samsung’s Gear VR (which uses their flagship Galaxy Note 4 as a display) offers a higher field of view and a better experience thanks to the Note 4’s higher screen resolution. And obviously, it might not last very long – given that it’s made from some stiff paper.

But more than anything, Cardboard is a revolution because it brings something new and exciting to the masses. It simplifies technology and opens up possibilities for developers. It’s what technology should be!

 Hitesh Raj Bhagat  ETP141229