Meant to be Seen

Hello all, this is my first post on these forums.

Very recently I've been looking into HMDs as an alternative as my computing paradigm has changed from desktop to complete 100% laptop usage. I have some plans to build RISC/ARM based 'headless' laptops with HMD as the primary display, but that is another topic altogether...

I'm looking for a 2d stereoscopic HMD much in the form-factor of the I-PORT 40 Plus, VR Pro SXGA, or the impressive Datavisor 80 (a member here has a pair, I envy that person).

Application: general purpose compting (general computing [vim, gdb, Midori, etc...] and gaming applications where hoz fov is typically 90 degrees.

Specification Requirements:

• HDMI or DVI input (single would be highly preferable on driver board, but 2x would be acceptable)
• Low power consumption (single or double USB would be excellent)
• Total resolution: No less than 1280x960 (2x 640x480 ganged and collective image mirrored to both eyes) with ideal resolution being 1600x1200 (2x 800x600 ganged and collective image mirrored to both eyes
• Field of view: 60 degrees or greater
• Price: $550 or less than
• Other parameters/considerations: mount being relatively low profile to wear for extended periods (12+ hours), somewhat light weight, and ability to wear fully enclosed headphones

My initial idea is to find two OLED 640x480 microdisplays and gang them together on one controller board.
However, I'm having difficulty sourcing OLED displays at reasonable prices:

Tek Gear: eMagin SVGA Color OLED XL / $825 ?per display?

Digikey: Micron MT7DPVG2F-A1S 640x480 (VGA) FLCOS [Parallel RGB] / $66 per unit

I admit my ignorance in that I know nothing of FLCOS and it seems at this juncture it is nearly impossible to source required displays without canabalizing pre-existing HMD... unless I have missed something?

Thoughts?

I'd look at the Oculus Rift thread. I believe the res of that panel is 1280x800 which is close to what you want. FOV is around 120. Price matches your range as well.

I asked and apparently its not going to support 2D OOTB, but since its basically going to be a kit, I hope it will be possible to replace the optics/faceplate, remove the divider, and use a wide lens to provide 2D support. If so, it won't take long before someone posts a tutorial and parts list to achieve this.

Is there any reason you are opposed to gutting an existing HMD? That is going to be cheaper than sourcing the parts yourself, for sure.

Also, do you have any knowledge of optical design? There are plenty of HMDs out there for a couple hundred bucks, the hard part is going to be getting 60 degree FOV. There is a reason that HMDs in that range cost $$,$$$.

One more thing: Could you explain your resolution thing a bit more? I have no idea how you get 1600x1200 out of two 800x600 panels.

WiredEarp wrote:I'd look at the Oculus Rift thread. I believe the res of that panel is 1280x800 which is close to what you want. FOV is around 120. Price matches your range as well.

I asked and apparently its not going to support 2D OOTB, but since its basically going to be a kit, I hope it will be possible to replace the optics/faceplate, remove the divider, and use a wide lens to provide 2D support. If so, it won't take long before someone posts a tutorial and parts list to achieve this.

Could you link me? I think I've found the wrong thread, nothing about schematics etc..

I have started considering removing the displays from existing HMDs
Any recommendations?

The Rift does not have schematics yet, they will be released along with all the other documentation sometime in July.

If you can give a little more background to the questions I asked, then I can suggest any existing HMDs that will be good for your purposes.