TECH SPECIAL........................ ENTER THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF VR WITH GOOGLE CARDBOARD

ENTER THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF VR WITH GOOGLE CARDBOARD





Who said you need expensive hard ware to enjoy Virtual Reality (VR)?
In fact, if you own an Android (v4.1 Jelly Bean or above) handset you already have the most important hardware you require to enjoy immersive content.

Google Cardboard is a VR platform developed by two of Google's engineers David Coz and Damien Henry . The duo created a software development kit that lets programmers build VR apps that display 3D scenes with binocular rendering; which can track and react to head movements, and interact with apps through magnetic input.

GAMES

InMind VR allows you to experience the journey into a patient's brain to search and destroy the neurons and destroy the neurons that cause mental disorder. While Egypt Chamber Cardboard immerses you into a `world of mystery' as you enter a pyramid with only one exit. Besides, it even lets content producers adapt their existing apps for VR.

The project gets its name from the low-tech cardboard headsets ­ comprising 40mm focal lenses, magnets, Velcro, a rubber band, and an optional near field communication (NFC) tag ­ which can be bought for as less as `399.

(NFC is used to trigger the launch of the Cardboard Android app automatically. But you can also start the apps from the Android launcher before putting your phone inside the viewer.) All you have to do is insert your smartphone in front of the lenses to view Google Cardboard apps, which split the display image into stereoscopic images, one for each eye, to create an illusion of 3D.

Since the technology's unveiling in June 2014 at Google's annual developer conference, app programmers have created a whole bunch of Cardboard apps ­ free and paid ­ which can be downloaded from the Play Store. Enjoy!

CARDBOARD

Google's Cardboard is a showcase app that includes demos ­ fly to different destinations with Google Earth, walk through the Palace of Versailles with a local guide, and look at artefacts from different angles ­ that will give you a sense of how immersive virtual reality is. Make sure you don't miss the interactive animations by Spotlight Stories in Cardboard.

TITANS OF SPACE

ToS is a virtual tour of our solar system. Don the headset and you're magically transported into the cockpit of a spaceship. Planets are scaled down to a millionth of their size and, as you fly through space, you're provided with information and trivia on the dashboard display.At all times, you can swivel your head around to watch the awe-inspiring visuals around you, like the close-up view of Jupiter, the trip over Saturn's rings, and the Moon hiding behind Earth. This one is a must for kids.

VRSE

Easily one of our favourites, Vrse consists of episodes ­ available as individual downloads ­ that make you feel as though you are part of the video presentations. You can look around the scene while the story continues to unfold before you. The audio also has a spacial element with the speaker's voice panning from one ear to the other. Here, you will get to watch how Vrse and New York Times got a French artist to create a large-scale street art installation; be a part of a star-studded Saturday Night Live show, and witness the story of a 12-year-old Syrian girl in a refugee camp.

FULLDIVE VR

With 3D VR YouTube, FullDive lets you watch online clips in your own personal theatre. You can browse through your phone's photo gallery, and it also includes a camera feature that lets you take pictures and video with your headset on. Alternatively, you can try VR Cinema that lets you watch all the 2D movies saved on your phone in virtual 3D. Here, the experience varies from phone to phone.

SEENE

Seene lets you take 3D photos with your smartphone and share with other registered users. All you need to do is take a picture via the app (gently move the phone around the object in the frame and it creates a 3D photo), which you can download as a JPG, video or GIF animation. These can be viewed from any web browser without special glasses, but with the Cardboard headset, the experience of browsing threedimensional photos taken by other Seene users is even more immersive.

SIMULATIONS Crazy Swing and Roller Coaster (by Fibrum), and Village for Google Cardboard. Note: these apps could cause simulator sickness (see Caution).

PAUL MCCARTNEY

Wear your glasses and join this

famous ex-Beatle on stage as he performs Live and Let Die. What you get is a 360-degree experience, with stereo 3D and immersive audio in this publiclyreleased cinematic VR experience. Similarly, you can join Jack White of The White Stripes as he performs his songs Freedom At 21, Ball and Biscuit, Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground at two concert venues. Both apps are best viewed on phones with a 5-inch screen at least.

ORBULUS

Orbulus gives you a 360-degree view of more than 10 destinations, in cluding a quaint English pub in Shrewsbury , the Northern Lights on a wintery night, the Pont du Gard in France, Oxford at night, street art in Los Angeles, and the Angkor Wat in Cambodia. You can look all around this “photo sphere“ and even zoom in or out of the scene by tilting your head.

Also try The Northface: Climb, Tokyo VR and Tour the Throne.

CAUTION

Virtual Reality can potentially cause nausea known as “simulator sickness“. This takes place when your eyes think you're moving, but your body is not. Please ensure that these apps are not used extensively by children, the infirm, pregnant women, and those prone to motion sickness. People suffering from epilepsy and with heart conditions will also need to consult their physicians for advice. Also, Google Cardboard contains magnets that may affect pacemakers.

HEADSETS YOU CAN BUY

Get Cardboard DIY (VR) Kit & Alian 3D Cardboard (VR) (Rs 399)

Both these entry level headsets can support phones of up to 5.7-inches; do not come with NFC, but are more than enough to experience VR. Given their cardboard build, they aren't very durable, and need to be handled with care.

DOMO nHance VR4 (Rs 2,490) & VR6 (Rs 2,990

Both models come with an adjustable Both models come with an adjustable clamp style receptacle to snugly hold smartphones between the sizes of 3.5 and 6 inches. You also get a removable and interchangeable lens construction, rounded nose bridge and rubber padding for wearing comfort. The more expensive VR6 comes with a magnet control. You could also look at the VR2 (`1,990) model that supports a maximum handset size of 5.7 inches, comes with foam and cotton padding, and with a flip-type phone holder compartment. Again, no NFC on these devices.

Savio DSouza & Ashutosh Desai

TNN

TOI23MAY15