It is a well known fact that the Oculus Rift is looking to dominate in the Virtual Reality market. However, a strong competitor may be coming later this year, in the form of Technical Illusions’ castAR Augmented Reality system.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOI5UW9khoQ#t=288[/youtube]
castAR is a projected augmented reality system that blew past their goal on their Kickstarter campaign in November. The system looks to revolutionize, not only in the gaming industry, but also in a wide range of fields, including (but not limited to) education and medical sciences. The glasses will be lightweight (final model should be around 100g) and includes two 720p micro projectors, which beam images to a special reflective pad at an independent rate of 120 Hz per eye. The glasses also feature a mini camera between the lenses, which can detect movement at the sub-millimeter, for precise head tracking.
The glasses will also feature an optional Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality clip, that can change your set from a projected Augmented Reality set to either a full-fledged Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality set. You can see the differences between the three types of simulated realities in the photo below.
You can see in the video below that the glasses are capable of gameplay on a PC, as well as support for multiple screens and curved displays, making this a viable alternative to a triple screen setup. I think one of the major draws of this product will likely be that you will still be able to see your hardware and the world around you, in addition to the added immersion factor the system provides.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3HGrclGkIE[/youtube]
The castAR system will be released around September of this year, with pre-ordering available now from their web store. The set starts at $194 for the starter pack, which includes the glasses as well as a 1 meter by 1 meter surface. For more information, as well as pricing on their other packages, check out Technical Illusions’ Official Website.
Could you see yourself using a set of these glasses for sim racing? I personally think that they could work very well, and may give an effective alternative to triple screen setups or a Rift!
Fascinating, and I was just getting into Oculus Rift now this?! Wow… 2014 will be great!
Thanks for bringing this to my attention William, I’ve set aside money for the Oculus Rift (which I’ve tried) but this also looks very interesting as it has extra options/different uses. I’m torn now! It’ll really come down to software support I guess but I’m following them now.
The Oculus Rift makes me feel nauseous unfortunately.
I’ve been tracking castAR for a while now and I think it’s going to be the better option in the long run. There’ll be an option to invert the display for near view as well so you can operate it like a Rift if desired. The advantage, in my view, is that you can see what your hands are doing which is essential in a cockpit.
Another interesting link on this tech (interview with the ex-Valve employees responsible for it):
http://twit.tv/show/triangulation/124