Apple Researching Virtual Reality Headsets

[MacRumors]

Apple's latest patent application reveals that they're continuing to look into personal virtual reality headsets. The February 2008 application is titled "Automatically adjusting media display in a personal display system" and details a "personal display system" which can give "the impression of being in the theater."




Apple suggests that by detecting the user's movements, the image could be adjusted accordingly:

For example, the device may detect a user's head movement and cause the portion of media displayed to reflect the head movement.

Apple even makes the point that they could take the realism so far as adding theatre surroundings, adjusting sound effects based on the user's "seat" and even adding outlines of other patrons sitting in the theatre.

It's not unusual for Apple's patent applications explore novel concepts but Apple has published previous patents related to similar headsets.

Article Link: Apple Researching Virtual Reality Headsets

[notjustjay]

And they can add force-feedback chairs to simulate the kid behind you kicking your seat. And maybe random cell phone noises?

Still, this sort of thing is pretty cool. I remember seeing a video on YouTube where some guy attached a Wii controller to a headset so it could track his head movement, and on the TV, simulated a display looking out a window. It was very convincing.

[cowman007]

Originally Posted by notjustjay

And they can add force-feedback chairs to simulate the kid behind you kicking your seat. And maybe random cell phone noises?

What about the baby which never stops crying??? LOL

[HiRez]

What the heck is up with those gears in there? Is that for focusing or something?

[Str8edgepunker]

Whenever I hear about VR Headsets, I always think about Virtual Boy and how it was a failure. What they really need is holographic projection. If CNN can do it, then how come I can't have it? J/K

[farmboy]

Originally Posted by Str8edgepunker

Whenever I hear about VR Headsets, I always think about Virtual Boy and how it was a failure. What they really need is holographic projection. If CNN can do it, then how come I can't have it? J/K

Besides the fact that it was poorly done, CNN did not use holograms in their election night coverage. They used simple green screen chroma-key, same as your local weather guy and his weather maps. It definitely was not hologram, which is a completely different and way more expensive technology.

[sflocal]

Originally Posted by farmboy

Besides the fact that it was poorly done, CNN did not use holograms in their election night coverage. They used simple green screen chroma-key, same as your local weather guy and his weather maps. It definitely was not hologram, which is a completely different and way more expensive technology.

It not quite the same thing. CNN used a 36 HD cameras ala Matrix style to do a 360-degree view of the person so it looked like a "solid" person to the viewers when the cameras pan around during the interview. So it was basically the next step of the green-screen weather-persona. There must have been some serious CPU processing going to to compensate for the viewers' camera movement and the green-screen subject. Not your average weather-channel announcement. It was still quite impressive.

[RoboCop001]

Originally Posted by Str8edgepunker

Whenever I hear about VR Headsets, I always think about Virtual Boy and how it was a failure. What they really need is holographic projection. If CNN can do it, then how come I can't have it? J/K

lol That CNN "hologram" was lame. It only exist on camera, therefore not a real hologram.

I hate when they call things by the wrong name. It's just an image being adjusted by a tracking system lol

I bet the guy was like "Oh great, so I have to stand here staring at a red dot, pretending to look at this person..."

[Rojo]

This technology has SOOOOOO much potential -- it kind of puzzles me that they would be focusing on imitating the feel of being in a movie theater, though. I guess that's neat, but there are so many other applications, games, etc. that one can see coming from this kind of motion-adjusting technology...

[mogzieee]

While I wouldn't expect Apple to release anything like this, it looks SO COOL!

[windowpain]

Just looking at that thing gives me a headache.
Hope they have improved the technology!

[offwidafairies]

Originally Posted by mogzieee

While I wouldn't expect Apple to release anything like this, it looks SO COOL!

r u serious?
it seems plain weird to me
and uncomfortable
i hate wearing anything on my head

[zombitronic]

Originally Posted by Rojo

This technology has SOOOOOO much potential -- it kind of puzzles me that they would be focusing on imitating the feel of being in a movie theater, though. I guess that's neat, but there are so many other applications, games, etc. that one can see coming from this kind of motion-adjusting technology...

Maybe they just gave this crappy concept in their patent so they can protect their true goal of creating the Matrix.

[Bosunsfate]

Potentially a great entertainment device. I can't think of what the uses would be beyond that. But that doesn't mean that I think someone won't come up with good uses for it.

I think it does show that Apple is moving more and more toward an entertainment company. That is an interesting shift, albeit, one that is not really new for them.

[powers74]

Originally Posted by HiRez

What the heck is up with those gears in there? Is that for focusing or something?

They probably just made up some BS since the people at the patent office have no clue!

[Bubba Satori]

They should research updated Minis and ACDs, matte screens and affordable desktops instead of absurd VR junk. I wish Steve would go on a five year sabbatical and turn the computer biz over to Woz.

[TheSVD]

Originally Posted by HiRez

What the heck is up with those gears in there? Is that for focusing or something?

Already, complaints about an apple product XD
Its just a drawing, and already, complaints, hahaha

[ChrisA]

Originally Posted by notjustjay

And they can add force-feedback chairs to simulate the kid behind you kicking your seat. And maybe random cell phone noises?

Still, this sort of thing is pretty cool. I remember seeing a video on YouTube where some guy attached a Wii controller to a headset so it could track his head movement, and on the TV, simulated a display looking out a window. It was very convincing.

I got to look at a full sized A1 Abram tank simulator. There was a hatch on top that the commander could open. The hatch was surrounded by a ring of computer monitors. A sensor on the helmet told the computer which way the commander was looking and the outdoor scene would be generated on the three monitors he was facing.

I could see these goggles used for a game where the play's view point is in the centerof the action so that turnning your head let's you see over our shoulder.

One other idea. I used to own a sail boat. Some times there would be fog. Worse there would sometime be fog with less then 100 feet of visabilty and many large container ships that were each 4X faster and 1,000 times bigger than my boat. The solution is radar. But radar takes some skill to interpret or read correctly. Radar could be used even by an untrained person if these goggle were used. The radar could drive a "virtual image of non-virtual reality" and present the user with view of the boat's compass and wind data instruments and any ships within 15 miles and any land or shore lines. I've actually been out on the ocean at night in heavy fog and heard the sound of huge engines a few miles away, while you need to know how to deal with this even with a complete electrical failure having "non-virtual reality glasses" maybe in the form factor of binoculars that you could pick up would be nice.

May sailors will carry night vision goggles, primarily for man overboard rescue at night. These goggles are expensive. This head mounted display might be cheaper to make and more usfull too if they could display data from either IR or Radar

[liptonlover]

Originally Posted by notjustjay

I remember seeing a video on YouTube where some guy attached a Wii controller to a headset so it could track his head movement, and on the TV, simulated a display looking out a window. It was very convincing.

I saw the same video, and I'm mad at nintendo for not using that technology. One player using two remote "slots" would create the best motion/virtual reality platform yet. It wouldn't even require any updating/new device, they just need to provide the glasses with the game.

@ Erasmus - If the screens are the biggest problem, then I think they're closer than you think... each year they come out with a new set of ipods, each with drastically higher resolution. I don't know specifics, but that tells me it's getting close.

[GeorgeD]

that's amazing! cant wait to see what they are like if they do, in fact, come out with them!

[tjcampbell]

Porn will never be the same.

[Kwill]

Obviously for Apple internal use, so employees can see Steve's RDF.

[rpaloalto]

Steve Jobs announces The new iSight at macworld 2010

Does anybody remember the movie, The Lawn Mower Man, from the early 90's

[O. Frabjous-Dey]

Interesting, and unusual. I don't expect much to come of this for a long time - Apple knows that people feel silly wearing stuff like this.

A good seed of research for the future, though.

[FJ218700]

Originally Posted by O. Frabjous-Dey

Interesting, and unusual. I don't expect much to come of this for a long time - Apple knows that people feel silly wearing stuff like this.

A good seed of research for the future, though.

people felt silly wearing Bluetooth headsets at first too