
IMAX raised $50M to fund creation of VR experiences - Impossible
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/285396/IMAX_raised_50_million_to_fund_creation_of_VR_experiences.php
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Ph0X
Something they definitely need a solution for is sanitation, since there will
be a lot of reuse of the same headset. I've heard this is a big issue that
people over overlook at conventions, and there has been cases of eye herpes
going around.

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eriknstr
Perhaps they could do like what is done when using certain types of medical
equipment and ave the part that is in contact with the person wearing it
switched out between each use.

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paulmd
The problem is that the body and lenses of the VR set are also likely to come
into contact with your face/eyes. This is amplified by the fact that the
lenses are really optimized to be right against your eyes. As you go farther
and farther out, the field of view gets narrower and the picture gets softer.
So most VR users will prefer to play with them cranked in as far as they can
go (while still fitting eye-glasses, etc). The "thin"/"wide-FoV" VR covers I
posted above actually put you even closer than would normally be possible.

Disposable pads would probably be nice in a commercial setting like a theater,
but you would also really need to spray down the body and lenses of the
headset with a sanitizer because some contact with the lenses is nearly
inevitable. AFAIK this is similar to how 3D glasses are processed for reuse.

I would just like to note that it is an extremely difficult optical problem to
get what amounts to a smartphone a half inch from your face with no screen
curvature to present an image that covers your field of view adequately,
focused at optical infinity, at a relatively constant magnification factor
(pixels are the same size), and without such excessive levels of distortion
that the rendering cannot be corrected in software. The closest analogy is
really the old superwide Nikon lenses that needed to have the mirror flipped
up so they could go deep into the camera and perform corrections right up to
the film plane.

Really it's a testament to modern manufacturing and lens design that this is
possible at any sort of a price that would be reasonable for consumers to own.
Molded plastic lenses with aspheric surfaces are amazing compared to what you
could do with regular spherical glass surfaces.

[http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkore...](http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/6070nikkor/fisheyes/75mm56.htm)

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rudolf0
I wonder what the killer app for VR will be. (I guess we also need the killer
headset first, which is still yet to come.)

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M_Grey
Showing off real estate is probably going to be big... and once it's good,
it'll become _the_ standard for telepresence. Honestly, a few things need to
happen, but when they do, the sky is the limit.

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js_what_
Having recently bought a house, I have to disagree. It _may_ help with initial
screening but you don't actually get a feel for the structure until you are in
it.

There's a lot of little details you are looking for that wouldn't show up
unless it was an extremely high resolution. On top of that, you are looking
for subtle sounds and movement as you walk through the house. You're seeing if
the floor is sagging, does the paint show water damage under certain lighting,
etc.

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AtheistOfFail
Think about going through 30 houses in 3 hours versus spending all day
driving.

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ben_jones
On the flip side how can you trust the "integrity" of the virtual tour? How do
you know parts aren't "photoshopped"? And then you have niche markets like
California where buyers are forced to move quickly, you kinda HAVE to see the
place to make such a snap decision, right?

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AtheistOfFail
There actually 3D scanners that will import the entire room at once. The
resolution isn't 'great' but the natural lighting makes it feel like you're
there, even on an Oculus DK1.

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Pica_soO
What happens if you put a VR-Cinema into a Elevator attached to a Cardanian
Cage? Total Vomit-immerssion!

