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Proposal

Proposal for Improving Virtual Reality Headsets

Kevin Huang

Adrian Soon

Josh Miranda

George Medina

The City College of New York

Purpose

Our groups vision for this project is to improve VR headsets in a way that it fully immerses the user and enhances their experience.

Introduction

The Virtual Reality industry is growing at an exponential rate. It places the user in a computer generated environment where they escape reality, being fully engaged in their program. The entertainment industry took advantage of this and has used it for theme parks, video games and movies. However, there are application of Virtual Reality other than entertainment. Virtual Reality is progressing in the STEM field creating programs for designs, simulations and education. For example in the medicine field virtual reality is used for simulating surgeries. By using these simulations it prepares the user familiarizing themselves to what a real surgery would look like. There is no fear of failure because they can always restart and learn from their mistakes. Although, there has been so much progress in Virtual Reality, it is still in the early stages in development. It has a promising future and as a group we want to be apart of this growth and improve what it is now.

Qualifications

Our group is qualified for creating a new and improved version of the VR headsets because of our composition of Computer Science students. As Computer Science majors, we have a better understanding of the tech industry helping us find area that need improvement.

Problem

The introduction of Virtual Reality attracts various types of audiences. However, one of the major issues is the investment needed to join the VR community. The technology of VR is still in the beginning phases which leads to the equipment being really expensive. This price tag is holding back the mainstream audience because of the risk to how new the technology is. The money needed in order to purchase VR equipment from reputable companies like Oculus, HTC and Sony, range from $300 to $500. There are alternatives to this by using a phone and buying a cardboard headset or buying a frame but, this does not reach true expectations of VR.

The design of the traditional Virtual Reality headsets is another problem we plan of addressing. The traditional structure of a VR headset has large box with lenses within it. The feel could be similar to having binoculars attached to the users face. Just like binoculars, having them on for a short amount of time may feel like nothing. However, after prolonged used it will start to feel uncomfortable and the user will become fatigued. When using VR applications users are most likely to spend hours instead of minutes. This is especially the case in which they use VR for training and simulations. The user will spend hours going through these simulations in order to improve their skills in their field. Another part of the headset structure we want to improve on is to have it wireless. We do not want our users to feel tethered to a machine. Instead of staying focused of the simulation, they may feel worried about tripping or getting pulled back from the wire.

The Cost of Building one VR Goggle Set

EquipmentPriceImage
LensesHybrid Fresnel lenses$250Figure 1: Benefits of the fast lens
FrameMade from plasticsMix in steel for sturdiness$6 Cardboard plastic$20 SteelFigure 2: Frame of a VR headset
SensorOculus – Sensor for Rift Virtual Reality Headset – Black$60Figure 3: VR sensors
Battery2xAAA batteries$4Figure 4: AAA Batteries
ControllerSamsung ET-YO324BBEGUS Gear VR Controller$40Figure 5: Samsung Controller
SoftwareMSI GeForce GTX 1060 6G OCV1 Graphics Card$250Figure 6: Graphics Card

The total cost per VR Goggle Set is $630, we chose materials that were compatible and yet high quality. We spent most of the money towards a high quality lens and software so that the user experience is the best. The pricing of the VR Goggle Set will be around $700, we want to make the product fairly average and still make a profit. We created a set because we don’t want the teachers to worry about every compartment. The sole VR headset will be $276 without the setup.  Compared to the other competitors, we manage to create a better design, make the price affordable and was able to make this work for educational purposes.

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The Budget

Our budget will come from the schools or educational programs that invest in our idea. Unlike other products, we focus on education therefore, it makes sense that schools will provide most of our budget. We will spend our budget building the product. The labor force will be our 1 lawyer,  5 programmers, and 3 engineers who will be working for 2 years. The lawyer will cost about $3,000, five programmers will cost $842,800, and three engineers will cost $573,480. If schools are unable to invest in our product, we can look for bigger companies that can buy our product and work with them.

The Schedule

The building schedule for the VR Goggle will take about two years, most of the process will go into the programming/coding for the VR. This is important because our software depends on the functionality of the code. Next, engineers are needed for the building and testing of our product. A design is needed next for the first prototype. The data we get from the prototype will layout the rest of the schedule depending if it succeed or not. We are predicting that we’ll face many problems, therefore, we will make adjustments and create additional prototypes. Lastly, we’ll do a run through of all the bug fixes and finalized our product.

Comparable Innovations

Our innovation meant to be more affordable compared to other VR headsets as well as more comfortable for the user. VR headset users want to experience the best virtual world possible, and our innovation does just that, but at a more affordable price. Other companies like Sony and Oculus have produced their own VR headsets already, but their prices for the headset alone range from about $300 to $500. Our VR goggles will provide a great VR experience like other VR headsets with a price of $276 for the headset alone. With the full setup, which includes the controller and the sensors, our innovation will cost approximately $700 which is significantly smaller than the price of the other VR headset companies require.

Compared to other VR headsets, our VR goggles will be more comfortable to wear. People who enjoy virtual reality will spend hours experiencing the virtual world, and that calls for a comfortable headset. Our innovation will cost less than other VR headsets, but it will also be very comfortable for the user so that they are fully immersed in VR without any concern on how the headset feels.

Technical Description

Technology has progress at an alarming rate based on moore’s law. Things like smartphones and computers being as portable as they are today is amazing. VR technology is becoming more accessible to many people today and the application of VR has become the next big thing. Although technology is progressing really fast VR technology still has room to be innovated. The VR technology that we have today is bulky and not very portable. When experiencing VR today you are not fully immersed into the virtual world that is desired. Our innovation of the VR headset will be lighter and more fully immersed in the virtual world.

VR or virtual reality is relatively new technology has been recently introduced to the public. There has been many companies that have developed the VR headset giving people the opportunity to try and experience virtual reality. Today you can go out and buy VR headset but it is bulky giving it a hard time for people to be fully immersed into the virtual world. Although many people see VR an entertainment tool but VR could also be used to in education. We can use VR to simulate virtual worlds that will allow people to train in dangerous situations. An example of this could be training doctors in stressful situation so they are prepared in the real world but in the virtual world they can learn from their mistakes and practice in the simulation to get better. This can also be applied to people who work in disaster situations like search and rescue missions, even catastrophic events like a tornado or volcano. People can be simulated into these situations and learn from them so they can be better prepared if this happens in real life.

VR is becoming more accessible to everyone nowadays with our innovation in perfecting the education aspects of VR technology people will be able to learn from these experiences in VR without the consequences of these real world events. However VR still has a long way to go, there are many parts to a VR headset. As we progresses as a society so do our way of life, this is the same for the technology in the VR headset. Our innovation of the VR headset will make it more comfortable to the user and allow it to be used in many applications. We will mainly be focusing on how to improve immersion of the headset allow users to fully experience the situation that they are in.

Parts of VR headset

Lense– The lenses allow the user to experience the virtual world. It is important that they adjust the virtual world based on what happens in the actual world. For example, the virtual world must change the angle of view whenever the user turns their head in order to fully experience the virtual world.

Cables– The VR goggles must have the necessary cables to able to connect all the system together. That meant a smaller system of cables that can fit into the structure of the goggles.

Battery– Just like the cables, the battery must be small enough to fit into the goggles structure in order to provide power to all the entire system.

Software– The software is what allows the VR goggles to work. Our software must be advanced enough to, not only project virtual images, but to make them interactive and easy to use for the consumer.

Controller– The controller will be wirelessly connected to the goggles, but it plays an important part in making it work. It’s what allows the user to access and interact with whatever is being illustrated in the headset.

Frame– This area holds the lense altogether along with any other important parts of the headset. The structure is meant to keep the goggles in place along with all the other electronics.

Headband– The headband is what keeps the VR goggles on the user’s head.

Headphones– Allows the user to hear any surrounding sounds in the virtual world in order to fully experience VR.

Screen– The screen displays the virtual world so that the user can fully experience it.

Sensors– The sensors are supposed to apply a 360-degree view of the virtual world so that the user can experience the virtual world as if it was the real world.

Innovation

Our innovation of the VR headset will remove the cables that are attached to computer. The VR headset has to be connected to a computer to run the program. The headset works by receiving and sending information through the cables that is connect to the headset. Our innovation of the VR headset would remove the cable that attaches to the computer, rather that have a long cable that is connect to the computer we wanted to make it wireless giving it a lighter feel to it. Also we plan to reduce the size of the headset which allow the user to experience less fatigue. The comfort of the VR headset will be drastically improved, while the immersion of the VR headset is mediocre because of the cable that is attached to the computer; having a wireless headset will people to be fully immersed in the virtual world that they desire. For example if the VR headset is used in a educational setting (ie: simulation of a surgery). The user of the VR headset while not held back by the cable like the old VR headset. In other words our innovation of the VR headset will give the user a better experience in virtual reality. While improving the structure of the headset is important to the user but the programs are just as important.  Innovating on the programs allow users to not only learn about certain situations they can also experience it in real time. Many of these of situation may not be suitable to be simulated in real life but in VR you are capable of simulating any situation that you may need.

Work Cited Page

Figure 6: MSI, GeForce-GTX-1060   https://us.msi.com/Graphics-card/GeForce-GTX-1060-6G-OCV1.html