DIY Oculus Rift - schematics, instructions and build pics!

[bobv5]

The reason I like the 7in1 is because it works well with DVI. You can actually chop it up to be pretty small if you know what you're doing, but I don't think I'm allowed to tell you guys how.

You don't need to. It's already on here somewhere.

[ChrisP]

did anyone strap a kinect on to one of these things yet so we can see are hands in-game and point with our finger to shoot?

there are lots of ways this could work plus it could be used to detect head movement (not just spinning)

a good link http://www.kinecthacks.com/top-10-best-kinect-hacks/

[RoadKillGrill]

did anyone strap a kinect on to one of these things yet so we can see are hands in-game and point with our finger to shoot?

there are lots of ways this could work plus it could be used to detect head movement (not just spinning)

a good link http://www.kinecthacks.com/top-10-best-kinect-hacks/

]

The kinect is really big and heavy to be put on your head (tho I'm sure someone has done it). I don't think its wide enough to capture the hands well if it was placed at head length.

From the video looks way too noisy to be practical for head rotation. On a gauge it looks ok but on your head sub degree noise is very noticeable. It pretty much needs to be under a tenth of a degree before it looks smooth. It can adjust the head positioning I guess.

[Yoder808]

did anyone strap a kinect on to one of these things yet so we can see are hands in-game and point with our finger to shoot?

there are lots of ways this could work plus it could be used to detect head movement (not just spinning)

a good link http://www.kinecthacks.com/top-10-best-kinect-hacks/

I think the LeapMotion can accomplish what you're talking about. From what I've read, the Oculus guys are already testing them.

[ChrisP]

thanks for the quick reply's to my question. yeah the kinect is heavy but remove the stand, motor and case slap it in some foam it wouldn't be too bad, just a slight neck ache or should i say kinect ache.
with some hand skeletal Tracking drivers controlling an in-game pre-textured hand... holy poop..

note to RoadKillGrill i meant mount it under the HMD like..say.. nose or mouth level, remember the skeletal Tracking data will be fed to an in-game rendered model of a hand or gun (whatever you want) and you can adjust the model placement in-game so it looks as if you are seeing the model from eye perspective instead of nose or mouth perspective.. hell you could mount it vertically on the side of your head if you want as long as you adjust hand skeletal Tracking data 90 degrees (might feel weird if you touch your self haha)

edit: just watched a Kinect being disassembled there is defiantly a lot of modz that can be done to make it light and small..
(remove the steel circuit board and cam housing, half of the circuit boards can be left outside the unit altogether with a little wire lengthening lol)


link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aposWBGnpdE (plus the chick's not bad!)

[MSat]

did anyone strap a kinect on to one of these things yet so we can see are hands in-game and point with our finger to shoot?

there are lots of ways this could work plus it could be used to detect head movement (not just spinning)

a good link http://www.kinecthacks.com/top-10-best-kinect-hacks/

Check out Palmer's "The Leap Motion works!" thread in the General VR/AR discussion forum.

[Iristrauma]

Cant get used to the Hydra for my setup so I am selling it on E-Bay if any of you DIY Rift makers need a cheap one. Also included is the Nostromo Keypad etc..

I think full body tracking and implementation directly into games POV is the way to go with real immersive VR. We need to make the brain connection between your real world body that you feel, and the graphical representation of one within the gamespace. Currently you look down from your pov and cant even see your feet or body, and this breaks the illusion somewhat, or rather, highlights the progress needed in this area. Meanwhile the Hydra, Leep etc are good alternatives. Just not for me, hence the E-Bay sale..
Hope this wont break any rules with the link..?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Razer-Hydra-a ... 095&_uhb=1

[Plagued]

note to RoadKillGrill i meant mount it under the HMD like..say.. nose or mouth level, remember the skeletal Tracking data will be fed to an in-game rendered model of a hand or gun (whatever you want) and you can adjust the model placement in-game so it looks as if you are seeing the model from eye perspective instead of nose or mouth perspective.. hell you could mount it vertically on the side of your head if you want as long as you adjust hand skeletal Tracking data 90 degrees (might feel weird if you touch your self haha)

You'd be better off just putting the kinect in front of you on a table, then it wouldn't be heavy and could track more of your body like arms and legs correctly (crouching, strafing etc), admittedly it'd struggle with fingers from a distance, but close enough it could pick up a hand shape.
The other slight issue is the latency with the kinect, if a lot of effort is being put into reducing the head tracking, it might feel a bit odd if your head moves fine but your arms seem drunk.
I've not seen too many people strip a kinect down too well either as I think bits like the metal plate are part of the tec cooling system that keeps the IR at the right frequency, but nothings impossible.

[Qoheleth]

It's not a DIY Rift, but its smaller cousin, FOV2GO. I built this to go along with my presentation on HMDs for a class.

Laying out the template


Beautiful Lens


FOV2GO


Tried it out with these videos and it's pretty cool!
Cyberreality's L4D Mod: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ovf5TLiIfZ8
Vega Rift: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcCzVyeVii4
Armored Ops: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjtQwk7zg24

[space123321]

Nice - thank you for the links - I had not seen the Vega Rift video before - good suff for the DIY Rift!

[Mel]

Hey all. I just received all the parts needed to build this HMD, and ran into my first road block:

I measured my IPD to be 5.4cm, and the provided template has it set for something like 6.5cm. I have no problem changing the drawing to match my needs, but my problem is this: how will my diminutive IPD affect the HMD experience, given that my lenses will not be 'looking at' the center of their designated half of the screen? What adjustments, if any, can/should I do. And how will Oculus deal with this issue?

Thanks for any info.

[Chriky]

I have a quite small IPD. You have to render the centre of the 3D images to where your eyes look, then you get an extra bit of image at the edges of the screen that only one eye can see. I believe the Oculus SDK is going to provide functions to do this easily.

[Mel]

I have a quite small IPD. You have to render the centre of the 3D images to where your eyes look, then you get an extra bit of image at the edges of the screen that only one eye can see. I believe the Oculus SDK is going to provide functions to do this easily.

So what I gain on the outside half, I lose on the inside half, correct? That kinda sucks. I assume an optimal solution (and by optimal I mean best HMD viewing experience) would be to either add corrective optics, or get a different screen size suitable for my eyes. The former is in the realm of doable while the latter is not. Bummer.

[Okta]

You can cheat the IPD a little shifting the lenses together or apart. This bends the light like a prism because your eye is centred on one of the lenses angles rather than its centre. You get all the downfalls including more distortion and chromatic aberration of course.

[Mel]

You can cheat the IPD a little shifting the lenses together or apart. This bends the light like a prism because your eye is centred on one of the lenses angles rather than its centre. You get all the downfalls including more distortion and chromatic aberration of course.

By shifting, do you mean angling inward or outward (as in, making the lenses' line of sight converge or diverge)?

[budda]

Hi,

I have wondered how the Oculus Rift and other such Rift devices can accommodate different Interpupillary Distances.

Here is my 'solution'.

The lenses need to have their optical axis slightly offset from their physical axis of symmetry.

Since round lenses are being used, we can take advantage of rotating them in their housings.

The respective lenses can then be rotated counter clockwise to bring the lenses optical axes to the correct Interpupillary distance.

If the offset of the lens optical axis and the physical axis is say 5mm, then the combined interpupillary distance range is 5mm x2 x2 = 20mm.

So a Rift with this setup could cater for all users with interpupillary distance from say 55mm to 75mm - if the mean value is set at 65mm.

Because the vertical offset could change by up to 5mm, the face plate or back screen may need some slight vertical adjustment compensation.

Thanks.

[Okta]

You can cheat the IPD a little shifting the lenses together or apart. This bends the light like a prism because your eye is centred on one of the lenses angles rather than its centre. You get all the downfalls including more distortion and chromatic aberration of course.

By shifting, do you mean angling inward or outward (as in, making the lenses' line of sight converge or diverge)?

No, keep them flat but shift them together or apart. What matters most is your IPD and the IPD centres of the screen you choose. Just stick a lens up to your eye and move it side to side and see the image shift the opposite direction. You may have enough play to fix the IPD (stereo centres) of your screen.

[Mel]

Hi,

I have wondered how the Oculus Rift and other such Rift devices can accommodate different Interpupillary Distances.

Here is my 'solution'.

The lenses need to have their optical axis slightly offset from their physical axis of symmetry.

Since round lenses are being used, we can take advantage of rotating them in their housings.

The respective lenses can then be rotated counter clockwise to bring the lenses optical axes to the correct Interpupillary distance.

If the offset of the lens optical axis and the physical axis is say 5mm, then the combined interpupillary distance range is 5mm x2 x2 = 20mm.

So a Rift with this setup could cater for all users with interpupillary distance from say 55mm to 75mm - if the mean value is set at 65mm.

Because the vertical offset could change by up to 5mm, the back screen may need some slight vertical adjustment compensation.



Thanks.

Hi budda. I'm not sure I.grok everything you said. Any chance you could draw a picture?

[Randomoneh]

You can cheat the IPD a little shifting the lenses together or apart. This bends the light like a prism because your eye is centred on one of the lenses angles rather than its centre. You get all the downfalls including more distortion and chromatic aberration of course.

By shifting, do you mean angling inward or outward (as in, making the lenses' line of sight converge or diverge)?

No, keep them flat but shift them together or apart. What matters most is your IPD and the IPD centres of the screen you choose. Just stick a lens up to your eye and move it side to side and see the image shift the opposite direction. You may have enough play to fix the IPD (stereo centres) of your screen.

I guess he knows that lens position should match his IPD. What he probably needs is a software solution for centering image according to his IPD. About rotating lenses - not a good idea.

[Mel]

I guess he knows that lens position should match his IPD. What he probably needs is a software solution for centering image according to his IPD. About rotating lenses - not a good idea.

Thanks, Randomoneh. I think your answer pretty much sums it up: space the lenses at my specific IPD, then hope for a render solution that will account for my (or anyone's, hopefully) specific IPD. Which brings me to:

Cyber: have you already stated that you will provide variable IPD support in Vireio Perception? Your intro post (http://www.mtbs3d.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=140&t=15570) doesn't mention anything about it.

Thanks.

[Okta]

I guess he knows that lens position should match his IPD. What he probably needs is a software solution for centering image according to his IPD. About rotating lenses - not a good idea.

Thanks, Randomoneh. I think your answer pretty much sums it up: space the lenses at my specific IPD, then hope for a render solution that will account for my (or anyone's, hopefully) specific IPD. Which brings me to:

Cyber: have you already stated that you will provide variable IPD support in Vireio Perception? Your intro post (http://www.mtbs3d.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=140&t=15570) doesn't mention anything about it.

Thanks.

What you actually need to do is connect the display, show an sbs image and mock up the lens holder at the default IPD and have a look. It may be the default is correct and already allowing for variation. None of the testers of the rift so far have complained about the optics yet? So you may be OK, even if you need to follow my previous posts.

[Qoheleth]

Something I'm hoping somebody can answer for me. So, I have read the Rift basically covers your entire vision when looking through the lens. Are we talking completely? Like, you can't even the see outer rims of the lens? When I look through the FOV2GO I made, I can't see the edges of the phone, but I can see the perimeter of the lens, mainly because of the nose cutout coming into contact with the upper bridge of my nose, not allowing me to push my eye closer towards the lens (if I do push them closer against the lens, as I've tried with one eye, the perimeter of the lens is much less visible, almost not noticeable).

I've noticed in some of the designs on the first page, there is actually a smaller lens, and then a larger lens in front of the smaller that is closer to the display. What effect does the larger lens have?

[Mel]

What you actually need to do is connect the display, show an sbs image and mock up the lens holder at the default IPD and have a look. It may be the default is correct and already allowing for variation. None of the testers of the rift so far have complained about the optics yet? So you may be OK, even if you need to follow my previous posts.

Roger that, and thanks. I'll report back when I get it done.

[Randomoneh]

Something I'm hoping somebody can answer for me. So, I have read the Rift basically covers your entire vision when looking through the lens. Are we talking completely?

Of course not. Unless surface of the object is curved in your direction, there is no way for it to occupy 180 degrees of your FOV, let alone ~270 (including peripheral vision + eyeballs rotated as much as possible).

Also, aspect ratio of Rift display (for one eye) is not 1:1, meaning you'd have to lose a portion of view if you want your horizontal FOV to be same as vertical, or the other way around.

[cybereality]

Cyber: have you already stated that you will provide variable IPD support in Vireio Perception?

You can do this in some of the titles that are supported (mostly from the Source engine). I still have to get this working in the other games.

[djdevin]

First try at VR headset and honestly, my first try at anything home made for a while as you can tell by the amount of duct tape used.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1151 ... 2235853921

It "works" but this was really just a proof of concept for me...I'm going to think of another way to put blinders on. I followed the guide which doesn't have enough room since the display is pre-assembled and bulkier. I might be able to use the display itself as the backing since all the ports are on the back anyway. Cutting out holes for the HDMI/power was probably overkill Thinking I can just mount an open box to the display and figure out something from there. I didn't even remove the lens covers out of laziness for this one Version 2 here I come...

[Yoder808]

First try at VR headset and honestly, my first try at anything home made for a while as you can tell by the amount of duct tape used.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1151 ... 2235853921

It "works" but this was really just a proof of concept for me...I'm going to think of another way to put blinders on. I followed the guide which doesn't have enough room since the display is pre-assembled and bulkier. I might be able to use the display itself as the backing since all the ports are on the back anyway. Cutting out holes for the HDMI/power was probably overkill Thinking I can just mount an open box to the display and figure out something from there. I didn't even remove the lens covers out of laziness for this one Version 2 here I come...

Looks good! It's a continuous improvement thing; I'm on revision 5 myself.

[Mel]

First try at VR headset and honestly, my first try at anything home made for a while as you can tell by the amount of duct tape used.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1151 ... 2235853921

It "works" but this was really just a proof of concept for me...I'm going to think of another way to put blinders on. I followed the guide which doesn't have enough room since the display is pre-assembled and bulkier. I might be able to use the display itself as the backing since all the ports are on the back anyway. Cutting out holes for the HDMI/power was probably overkill Thinking I can just mount an open box to the display and figure out something from there. I didn't even remove the lens covers out of laziness for this one Version 2 here I come...

Looks good to me, djdevin. How is the viewing experience?

I bought the same display as you and have it all disassembled, and I'm in the process of designing a template for a foam board housing. May take me several days, as work takes precedence (12-14hrs a day, sadly...over-worked programmer, but at least I'm working ). One of the nice things about the display is that there's a metal channel that runs from top to bottom on the left and right edges that just happens to accept the 5mm foam board I'm using. My housing is going to take advantage of this happenstance to hold the screen in place.

[djdevin]

First try at VR headset and honestly, my first try at anything home made for a while as you can tell by the amount of duct tape used.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1151 ... 2235853921

It "works" but this was really just a proof of concept for me...I'm going to think of another way to put blinders on. I followed the guide which doesn't have enough room since the display is pre-assembled and bulkier. I might be able to use the display itself as the backing since all the ports are on the back anyway. Cutting out holes for the HDMI/power was probably overkill Thinking I can just mount an open box to the display and figure out something from there. I didn't even remove the lens covers out of laziness for this one Version 2 here I come...

Looks good to me, djdevin. How is the viewing experience?

I bought the same display as you and have it all disassembled, and I'm in the process of designing a template for a foam board housing. May take me several days, as work takes precedence (12-14hrs a day, sadly...over-worked programmer, but at least I'm working ). One of the nice things about the display is that there's a metal channel that runs from top to bottom on the left and right edges that just happens to accept the 5mm foam board I'm using. My housing is going to take advantage of this happenstance to hold the screen in place.

Viewing experience is pretty great, good FOV and I did strap a Wiimote+motionplus to my head and mapped it to mouselook just to do some testing. I'll probably get the better head tracker to not look like a doofus Hardest part was getting the distance right between the display and the lenses.

That's interesting about the display housing, I'll have to check that out for myself!

[Mel]

Can anyone tell me if I'll be a sorry S.O.B. if I disconnect the LCD panel from the controller board without special tools (image attached...not sure if I did it right)?

If it's OK to do, does anyone have advice for disconnecting and re-connecting without destroying the ribbon cable and/or connector?

Thanks.

[Namielus]

Isnt it simply to pull out those plastic connectors? so its really loose?
I think the black corners can be pulled away from the connector (not up).

I can draw a picture if you are unsure. But it should be fine.

[Mel]

Isnt it simply to pull out those plastic connectors? so its really loose?
I think the black corners can be pulled away from the connector (not up).

I can draw a picture if you are unsure. But it should be fine.

The little black tabs you pointed out were the answer: They pulled out towards the right and the cable basically fell out.

Thank-you very much.

[Yoder808]

I got my replacement LCD in from Vitrolight, who I must say provided outstanding customer service. Without further ado, here it is:

[bobjwatts]

Looks awesome @Yoder808 - love the curved front.

Good to hear the Vitrolight service is acceptable.

[space123321]

Awesome! looks great!

[android78]

@Yoder808 - love the build, it looks awesome. I wonder how stuffy it will get after half an hour play though. Have you thought about ventilation at all?

[Yoder808]

@Yoder808 - love the build, it looks awesome. I wonder how stuffy it will get after half an hour play though. Have you thought about ventilation at all?

Thanks for the feedback guys! I have thought about ventilation. I was concerned initially, but it's not to bad at all. My next goal is to rebuild it again, using an HDMI->LVDS cable or PCB. I PM'ed WickedAndy about buying one, but I haven't heard back yet.

I'm also waiting to decide on a tracker. I've got a homemade FreeTrack clip, a WiiMotion+, an iPhone 4S, and a few Androids to use, so I'm not hurting... How much better is say, the SparkFun IMU than the iPhone (other than weight)?

I'd also like to see if I can pass audio through the HDMI, and get it out of the headphone jack on the controller board. How is everyone else handling audio?

As for the results of my HMD: I freakin' love it. Yeah yeah, the resolution could be better, but as most have said, it is completely acceptable. 95% of the time, I don't even notice the resolution, even though if I try, I can resolve pixels clearly. Once there is motion on the LCD, it seems to all "melt away". I suppose that's what people mean when they say your brain fills in the missing details.

Individual game impressions:

Left4Dead2: Pretty amazing. The TriDef (DDD) drivers do a great job in this game, and the frame rate is great. Everyone I've showed L4D2 is terrified the first time they get rushed by a swarm of zombies.

Portal 2: Also based on the Source engine, so the results are about the same as L4D2 as expected. The intro of the game is pretty awesome, and good to show a quick demo to non-gamers.

Grand Theft Auto 4: Absolutely amazing. Running ENBSeries (I forget which exact one - similar to IceNhancer), first person mod, high resolution textures, real vehicles, realistic traffic, and more mods I can't remember. Probably the best non-gamer demo I have. You can just walk around and check out Liberty City at your leisure (assuming cousin Roman isn't spamming your phone, demanding to go bowling). With the first person mod, things can get funny if you walk backwards, or try to strafe, but other than that, it's great.

Skyrim: Sadly, this was kind of a let down for me. Outdoors, there is terrible aliasing on the trees/grass, and it really detracts from the experience. Granted, my install is pretty modded up with ENB Series, textures, trees, and on and on... but, it looks great on a monitor. I'll try it again without graphics mods, and see how that goes.

Battlefield 3: Flipping beautiful. The campaign mission launching from the aircraft carrier is especially intense. Graphically, this was the best game I tested. It's an amazingly immersive experience. I died a TON, but I'm a mouse/keyboard guy, I really need to brush up on my 360 controller skillz.

That's all I have for now, take care everyone!

-Yoder

[Okta]

You are playing those games with the squeezed aspect ratio and no distortion correction?

[Krenzo]

...the SparkFun IMU...

There are several 9DOF IMUs available at SparkFun ranging from $80 to $125. All of the SparkFun boards require an extra $15 cable to connect to a PC via USB unless you piggyback on an Arduino or other microcontroller board.

Here's an IMU board I saw that's only $16: http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/STM ... HaxA%3d%3d
Manufacturer site: http://www.st.com/internet/evalboard/product/254044.jsp The ARM Cortex-M4 on the board alone is worth the price, more powerful than the Atmel chips found on other IMU boards.

[Namielus]

Isnt it simply to pull out those plastic connectors? so its really loose?
I think the black corners can be pulled away from the connector (not up).

I can draw a picture if you are unsure. But it should be fine.

The little black tabs you pointed out were the answer: They pulled out towards the right and the cable basically fell out.

Thank-you very much.

Glad to be of help