3D Vision Blog

It seems that Head Mounted Displays (HMD) are going to be a big thing by the end of this year and in 2012 as well, after a few years of silence in the HMD front (it happens every few years since the 90s), they seem to be yet again ready for a prime time with 3D support being the key focus this time (mostly for video, not for gaming). I’m talking about devices such as the more affordable Vuzix Wrap series of HMD devices available for a while, the new Sony HMZ-T1 Personal 3D Viewer that appeared briefly on the US market and is currently Backorderable, as well as the upcoming Epson Moverio BT-100 and SiliconMicroDisplay ST1080. So you can say that there will be a good choice of different type of 3D-capable HMD devices, more affordable with lesser specs and more expensive solutions with higher resolution and more extras. One important question however still remains and it is if this type of devices will finally be here to stay, or they will yet again remain dubbed as not good enough, not comfortable enough and not usable enough as it has happened with such products before. Is it finally time for the HMDs to come out of the niche market and become mainstream product, only time will tell, but there is already a lot of interest from consumers in this type of products and apparently big companies are also interested…

Epson’s Moverio BT-100 offers a resolution of 960×540 pixels with 2D and 3D support (for video playback), built-in headphones with Dolby Mobile technology, and uses an Android-based control unit. What is different with this device is that it is intended to be used as a standalone entertainment package and not together with a PC or another external multimedia player. Another interesting thing about the device is the fact that it does not have the two small LCD screens in the front, but instead projects the image on the front transparent part and this means that you can also partly see the real world around you while using this device. But the only drawback is that Moverio BT-100 looks quite big and lets say a bit strange when worn on your head, but if this does not bother you, then you should still be Ok with this personal entertainment device. Epson’s Moverio BT-100 is expected to be available on the Japanese market on November 25th with a price of around $800 USD.

SiliconMicroDisplay ST1080 is another type of 3D-capable HMD device that uses LCoS microdisplays and is expected to offer a native resolution of 1920×1080 pixels in both 2D and 3D mode. ST1080 is a see-through type HMD that will allow you to also see your surroundings while using it. It also has an external controller like Sony’s device and also comes with a 5 hour mobile battery pack when you want to use it on the go and don’t have where to plug it in. The controller unit apparently uses only HDMI input and the stereo 3D support should be based on the frame packaging method defined in HDMI 1.4. This of course would mean 1080p 3D mode with 24Hz, so suitable only for movies and for games 720p 3D mode with 50/60Hz should be used, so not that much of an advantage offer the HMZ-T1 from Sony if it will only be used fro gaming. SiliconMicroDisplay ST1080 is expected to be available in December this year and a price has not been disclosed yet, but still it is an interesting product you should keep your eyes on if you are interested in HMDs.

- For more information about the SiliconMicroDisplay ST1080 HDM device…

Head mounted displays are not a new concept, and although their boom was probably back at the end of the last century and the beginning of this one, they never became mainstream and kind of disappeared lately from the market. But users’ interest hasn’t disappeared in them at all and during CES 2011 last month Sony has rekindled this interest by showing a new prototype of a Head Mounted Display that may or may not become available at some point as a commercial product. With Sony’s device however only the specs were upgraded from previously available similar products, but apparently there are also people working on new concepts that are very promising and that try to implement completely new ideas that can help overcome some of the limitations of the HMDs. The video above shows a few concepts for a future possible HMD device, 3D capable as well, developed by Deisler De Leon Vargas that shows a lot of promise, and he has even patented some of his ideas. The problem however is that he does not yet have the resources to build a prototype of the device himself, but maybe his idea will be picked up and further developed. Take a look at the video above to see what he is proposing as a new generation of an HDM device…

One interesting DIY project from Gavan Woolery who used a 120Hz 3D-ready Acer GD235HZ monitor (the same as Acer GD245HQ) with Nvidia 3D Vision shutter glasses and TrackIR 5 from Naturalpoint to recreate something that looks like an oversized HMD (Head Mounted Display). Ok, HMD in this project really means attaching a big monitor to your head instead pf the small LCD screens that are usually found in the commercial HMDs that are much smaller and actually look more like a pair of sunglasses (slightly bigger). The end results looks kind of strange, but you should remember that this is a prototype that was built just a as a proof of concept. And while it might not be very convenient to wear the whole thing attached to your head it seems to work pretty good in providing not only stereoscopic 3D image, but also adding motion tracking. Are you starting to get some ideas yourself already? Considering that you can hardly find any up to date HMD with high resolution and motion tracking at an affordable price that also supports stereoscopic 3D mode this project is definitely interesting. You can share your thoughts and ideas about it in the comments below.

- You can read more details about the project on Gavan Woolery’s blog…