an e-ink vr headset
skills used:
- Soldering
- Research
- Arduino
- Electronic testing
- Troubleshooting
- Sourcing
- 3D printing
- Optics
- CAD
A new type of VR headset
The e-ink vr headset prototype created here was inspired by the possibility presented by high refresh displays from the creator Modos (will link to it later, look at crowdsupply). I wanted to take that display and see what it would look like displaying a tracked world, something without eye fatigue caused by the rapid strobing of LEDs. I also wanted to see if I could use it for reading and writing. IF I could, then maybe it could be used for people with ADHD who can’t focus when they’re in a stimulating environment. Maybe it could help me write my scifi novel.
The result, after I 3D printed a case, wired in some LEDs, and found a pair of lenses from the old google cardboard, was something new. It felt… well… like looking at magnified paper. Except that paper moved. My world was paper. It’s one of those things that you just have to experience.
The resolution of the e-ink wasn’t quite where it needed to be, but it was still possible to do some basic typing and reading. I will need a high resolution panel to keep testing, and I actually did get one that worked, and then I immediately stepped on it. Yep.
Also the LEDs that illuminate the screen are okay, but nothing like being illuminated by natural light. There were some light leaks in the case, and I found that I actually preferred reading by the leaking light than the led light. For the next design I will also make it more open, possibly adding mirrors to redirect ambient light onto the screen and entirely removing the built in led.