Lightpack - This NEEDS to be in a future Rift :)

[Bretspot]

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/woo ... r-displays
It's basically a plug'in'play ambilight system.

The current version is way too huge right now though.

[8bit]

That's pretty sweet. It's along the lines of Microsoft's Illumiroom demo but should be a lot easier to setup.

[jis]

Would the light reflect/diffuse on the LCD screen causing dark colors/black to be enlighten ?

[geekmaster]

As I mentioned in previous posts in other threads, why not just route some cheap fiber optic cables from the "unused" corners of the LCD panel to your peripheral vision inside the face mask? A little software change to drive those pixels, and you would not need any extra hardware, and better, no extra USB cables or power cables. All passive and self-contained in the RiftDK. And not only that, a LOT less expensive than a typical Ambilight clone like this one...

[ss248]

I have Ambilight TV and I like it, but i cannot understand why you need to use it with rift.
And how you expect to use it?
Another "Guys, look that I found in the dumpster. RIFT DEFINITELY NEED IT." thread or just viral marketing?

[geekmaster]

I have Ambilight TV and I like it, but i cannot understand why you need to use it with rift.
And how you expect to use it?
Another "Guys, look that I found in the dumpster. RIFT DEFINITELY NEED IT." thread or just viral marketing?

Here, let MTBS member calebkraft explain it to you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8FSuxA-cp4

[ss248]

Here, let MTBS member calebkraft explain it to you:

Now I understand, thanks.
I already see projects like this 3-4 years ago.
They use led tape or something.
And as I can see the kickstarter project also doing it.
I don't think it will be comfortable for long term use in Rift, because led usually generates a lot of heat and you need to place them pretty close to the face.
But idea with fiber optic cables is very good.
Cheap, no heat, easy to use.

[Okta]

I have Ambilight TV and I like it, but i cannot understand why you need to use it with rift.
And how you expect to use it?
Another "Guys, look that I found in the dumpster. RIFT DEFINITELY NEED IT." thread or just viral marketing?

I know where you are coming from but I think it is somewhat appropriate to HMD's. I have seen videos of this light system months back and its hands down the best I have seen. Backed, thanks for the link. Weather or not I try it in the Rift is another thing..

[Randomoneh]

Colors need to represent the part of FOV that is missing, and not simply mirror (or extend) the edge of the screen.

[geekmaster]

Colors need to represent the part of FOV that is missing, and not simply mirror (or extend) the edge of the screen.

The edge of the screen is not used now after pre-warp. You can put whatever colors you want there. Specifically, you can put colors there DESIGNED to drive the fiber-optics in the facemask, just like more complicated electronics and cabling would otherwise drive LEDs in an Ambilight. Besides the fiber-optics, all software, and exactly the same colors (if programmed correctly).

Correct programming implies setting those "normally" unused pixels at the screen edge to provide exactly the missing peripheral FoV colors that you described.

[mrklaw]

Do you even need colour that far out I your field of view? Wouldn't white LEDs be enough, just varying brightness?

[QUAKE]

Do you even need colour that far out I your field of view? Wouldn't white LEDs be enough, just varying brightness?

No, your peripheral vision sees colour in normal luminosity.


$50 seems cheaper than the hack-a-day video.

I'm gonna get this for my rift.

[michal]

As I mentioned in previous posts in other threads, why not just route some cheap fiber optic cables from the "unused" corners of the LCD panel to your peripheral vision inside the face mask? A little software change to drive those pixels, and you would not need any extra hardware, and better, no extra USB cables or power cables. All passive and self-contained in the RiftDK. And not only that, a LOT less expensive than a typical Ambilight clone like this one...

Your idea intrigues me. It's simple and elegant.
Assuming it works, though I don't see why it wouldn't.

I don't have my Rift yet, but I thought this might be a good way to get some fiber optic cable:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Home-Decorat ... 0835940447

I'd just cut it up as necessary and try and figure out a way to mount it once I have a Rift. I was thinking of punching the cables through two tiny blocks of styrofoam to create little arrays from the edge of the screen to the side of the headset. Do you see any problem with this?

Regards,
Michal

[Okta]

Colors need to represent the part of FOV that is missing, and not simply mirror (or extend) the edge of the screen.

The edge of the screen is not used now after pre-warp. You can put whatever colors you want there. Specifically, you can put colors there DESIGNED to drive the fiber-optics in the facemask, just like more complicated electronics and cabling would otherwise drive LEDs in an Ambilight. Besides the fiber-optics, all software, and exactly the same colors (if programmed correctly).

Correct programming implies setting those "normally" unused pixels at the screen edge to provide exactly the missing peripheral FoV colors that you described.

Clever as always. I was seeing the black border as an issue but with your method it is a programmed part of the warp shader to drive the ambilights. With the HMD designed from concept to suit, this is a winner until we have full FOV HMD's.

[mrklaw]

Colors need to represent the part of FOV that is missing, and not simply mirror (or extend) the edge of the screen.

The edge of the screen is not used now after pre-warp. You can put whatever colors you want there. Specifically, you can put colors there DESIGNED to drive the fiber-optics in the facemask, just like more complicated electronics and cabling would otherwise drive LEDs in an Ambilight. Besides the fiber-optics, all software, and exactly the same colors (if programmed correctly).

Correct programming implies setting those "normally" unused pixels at the screen edge to provide exactly the missing peripheral FoV colors that you described.

Clever as always. I was seeing the black border as an issue but with your method it is a programmed part of the warp shader to drive the ambilights. With the HMD designed from concept to suit, this is a winner until we have full FOV HMD's.

what happens if you fill the 'black' parts of the pre-warped screen eg with white pixels? Do you notice them at all in the rift, either as image or simply as ambient light? Or does the light source need to be moved eg with LEDs like discussed?

[ChrisJD]

I don't think I'm ever going to actually want one of these, but two thumbs up for opensource hardware.

[michal]

For what it's worth even having a white light source behind your display makes a HUGE difference when you're looking at your monitor/TV in a dark environment.

I'm doing so now with these: http://store.antec.com/Product/soundsci ... 020-0.aspx

I'll make sure to let everyone know how this kit was in June. If anyone is interested that is.

[Randomoneh]

Is it even possible to meddle with area outside the viewing frustum?
I just realized it is possible (at least in Unity) to render multiple views (to have multiple frustums) and then size them accordingly (few pixels wide, few pixels tall) and simulate it using LEDs?

[geekmaster]

what happens if you fill the 'black' parts of the pre-warped screen eg with white pixels? Do you notice them at all in the rift, either as image or simply as ambient light? Or does the light source need to be moved eg with LEDs like discussed?

My plan was to block the portion of the LCD where the fiber optics meet the screen from affecting normal visibility. I would stick the fiber optics to the screen with clear RTV or hotmelt glue, and cover it with black electrical tape (or black RTV) to block ambient light from affecting the non-ambilight content.

These technical details are obvious if you think them through...

[geekmaster]

For what it's worth even having a white light source behind your display makes a HUGE difference when you're looking at your monitor/TV in a dark environment.

I'm doing so now with these: http://store.antec.com/Product/soundsci ... 020-0.aspx

I'll make sure to let everyone know how this kit was in June. If anyone is interested that is.

I recall reading a research study awhile back, which concluded that bias lighting such as you describe constricts your pupils enough to increase contrast perception by making blacks blacker, and makes LCD backlight bleed less visible, and gives you a sharper focus from your constricted pupils.

White light may be great for general content enhancement in a dark room, but Ambilight colors that match the screen edges are much more immersive for high-speed action sequences in movies, and may enhance VR immersion for the same reason (to draw your attention to moving content at the sides, just beyond your FoV).

[hast]

As I mentioned in previous posts in other threads, why not just route some cheap fiber optic cables from the "unused" corners of the LCD panel to your peripheral vision inside the face mask?

Sounds like a clever idea. Could it perhaps be made even simpler by making a "light box" on the edges of the screen (and the insides of the Rift) and then put a diffuser from this "ambilight area" towards the eyes? Kind of like what you use for photography (https://www.google.com/search?q=light+d ... 66&bih=921). That way you wouldn't even need the optical cables.

I'm thinking you take the Rift apart. Cover any area in the side that is on the inside of the shell of the unit and not the screen with something reflective. For a cheap diffuser you can probably try it out with parts from a plastic milk bottle to replace any separating wall towards the eye. (Thin paper or cloth should also work as long as it's white.)

I don't know what the Rift actually looks like in detail in those areas so I can't tell if it would be physically possible or not. And I'm not sure if the very rough ambilight effect would be sufficient. You can probably still get some color separation from top and bottom, but not as much as with optical fibres.

[geekmaster]

As I mentioned in previous posts in other threads, why not just route some cheap fiber optic cables from the "unused" corners of the LCD panel to your peripheral vision inside the face mask?

Sounds like a clever idea. Could it perhaps be made even simpler by making a "light box" on the edges of the screen (and the insides of the Rift) and then put a diffuser from this "ambilight area" towards the eyes? Kind of like what you use for photography (https://www.google.com/search?q=light+d ... 66&bih=921). That way you wouldn't even need the optical cables.

I'm thinking you take the Rift apart. Cover any area in the side that is on the inside of the shell of the unit and not the screen with something reflective. For a cheap diffuser you can probably try it out with parts from a plastic milk bottle to replace any separating wall towards the eye. (Thin paper or cloth should also work as long as it's white.)

I don't know what the Rift actually looks like in detail in those areas so I can't tell if it would be physically possible or not. And I'm not sure if the very rough ambilight effect would be sufficient. You can probably still get some color separation from top and bottom, but not as much as with optical fibres.

Yes. A divider to keep the outer pixels separated from the central screen area, with an open channel from the screen to the mask beside the eyes, perhaps with a reflective (or white) coating inside that light channel. If the insides of the Rift mask were white, that light channel could allow colored light to illuminate the white sides of the mask, under "Ambilight" program control. But in the current design, fiber objects may be a simpler mod.

[calebkraft]

yep, that is about the same cost as a DIY version with an arduino uno. The construction quality is much higher though, not to mention the fact that you don't have to spend any time buidling it. If you want this feature, that would be a good route. It is a ton of wires though. I didn't leave mine in place because I didn't want to have to tote around the arduino +more wires to show everyone the rift.

I think a passive way, like geekmaster said would work as well, and if mass produced, would be cheaper and lighter.

I've considered using acrylic rods at the adges. Installing them would be MUCH easier than fiber optics and you could paint them black on the sides instead of having to install a divider. the screen side would be flush with the screen, but the eye side could be cut at an angle to increase lit surface area. It would cost maybe $15.

[geekmaster]

yep, that is about the same cost as a DIY version with an arduino uno. The construction quality is much higher though, not to mention the fact that you don't have to spend any time buidling it. If you want this feature, that would be a good route. It is a ton of wires though. I didn't leave mine in place because I didn't want to have to tote around the arduino +more wires to show everyone the rift.

I think a passive way, like geekmaster said would work as well, and if mass produced, would be cheaper and lighter.

I've considered using acrylic rods at the adges. Installing them would be MUCH easier than fiber optics and you could paint them black on the sides instead of having to install a divider. the screen side would be flush with the screen, but the eye side could be cut at an angle to increase lit surface area. It would cost maybe $15.

The thought to use a solid light-pipe such as a lucid rod did cross my mind, but I did not pay much attention to the thought at the time. It certainly makes more sense than my idea mentioned above for an "open air" light guide channel. Thanks for the suggestion! This way seems like a much simpler approach.

[Runbmp]

Thanks for sharing, interesting little device. Even if its a little on the expensive side personally for me ( 80$ + 10$ )

I'll probably wait for the commercial version.

[QUAKE]

what happens if you fill the 'black' parts of the pre-warped screen eg with white pixels? Do you notice them at all in the rift, either as image or simply as ambient light? Or does the light source need to be moved eg with LEDs like discussed?

This is an excellent point. May someone replace the black with other colours, where in your vision, if anywhere do they appear?

[Evenios]

meh i think the concept is a nice idea but more of a gimmic. so it adds pretty lights that makes you think its part of the experience ...meh think it would just raise the price of the rift without needing to do so. i rather have positional tracking + a better screen thanks.

[QUAKE]

As I mentioned in previous posts in other threads, why not just route some cheap fiber optic cables from the "unused" corners of the LCD panel to your peripheral vision inside the face mask? A little software change to drive those pixels, and you would not need any extra hardware, and better, no extra USB cables or power cables. All passive and self-contained in the RiftDK. And not only that, a LOT less expensive than a typical Ambilight clone like this one...

If one was to try this, how would we 'force' the oculus wrapper NOT to make all the edges black?

[urban]

Wouldnt it be best if the edges where not black anyway? I think it would be best if it averaged out the colour of the edges of the circles and bled the colour out to the very edges of the screen. Filling in peripheral vision. I think it would give the effect of a higher fov as well