Virtual reality (VR) has become a staple in both gaming, entertainment, education and industrial applications. But with it comes a hefty price tag for both the content that is required and the devices used to view the content. To cut the costs of these devices, a maker has developed a do-it-yourself (DIY) pair of VR goggles that only costs $80 and runs using an Arduino and Raspberry Pi.
The project was created by Killer Robotics’ “jamesvdberg” who explained that he wanted to create a low-cost alternative to the high-priced VR sets currently on the market.
The VR headset will not be as high performance as an Oculus or HTC Vive, but it can track head movements and send data to a PC system as a mouse input via the Arduino Micro for control.
The device is created using a Google cardboard-compatible shell along with a 5 in Raspberry Pi 800 x480 liquid crystal display (LCD) screen and the Arduino. Head movements are captured via an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and game visuals are fed back to the screen over high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), split into discreet images for each eye, creating a side-by-side effect.
Other features of the set include two light emitting diodes (LEDs), one resistor, one micro USB cable, an HDMI cable and a 6DOF MPU 6050 three-axis gyroscope and accelerometer.
To learn how to make one or to find out more information, visit Killer Robotics.
