Date: Sat, 17 Apr 93 15:07:55 CET From: diego@minerva.st.dsi.unimi.it (Diego Montefusco) Subject: HARDWARE: List of All the HMDs on the market (hope so) - LONG! Summary: %-) Thanks, Diego -- Mods. Some days ago someone asked for a complete list of HMDs available on the market. It happens I am exactly writing an article on this for my newsletter, so here we go... (Ehi Mark, I guess this can go in the FAQ, right?) I hope it is as much detailed and complete as possible, and I hope that if anybody else finds errors, or knows of things not listed here, s/he too will make the effort to let us all (and ME, in particular!!) know about. NOTE: This list includes ONLY products available on the market (except the EyePhone HRX, which I included as well), NOT products under development or made in research centres. Hope this will help out someone, Diego ----------------------------------------------------------------- | Diego Montefusco | Computer Science Department | | Via Pirano 4 | University of Milan - Italy | | 20127 Milano | | | Italia | P L E A S E R E P L Y T O M E A T : | |+39 (0)2 27001467 | montefus@ghost.dsi.unimi.it | ----------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ LCD based HMDs - Resolutions are in primarly colored pixels, unless stated... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ VPL Research, EyePhone LX Resolution: 442x238 FoV: 108H x 76V (86H per eye), custom FMT Fresnel optics (previously they used LEEP optics for their first EyePhones) Weight: 2.5 lbs Video in: NTSC Headphones: Yes VPL Research, EyePhone HRX - DISCONTINUED Resolution: 720x480 Active Matrix TFT technology with <100 Micron elements, 275 DPI FoV: 106H x 75V (86H per eye), custom FMT Fresnel optics Weight: 2.5 lbs Video in: RGB or NTSC Headphones: Yes NOTE: Both VPL systems use a proprietary diffusion element in front of the screens to reduce (defocusing the image) the apparent granularity of LCDs. Virtual Research, Flight Helmet Resolution: 360x240 FoV: 100H, LEEP optics Weight: 3.7 lbs Video in: NTSC Headphones: Yes, Sony Leep Systems Inc, CyberFace 2 Model 1 and 2 (different "hat") Resolution: 479x234, 4" plates. 319x117 Color Groups (triads), ie Real Resolution. FoV: 140H, LEEP clear (i.e. not Fresnel) lens. The wider FoV induces significant distortion. Weight: 4.25 lbs Video in: NTSC, PAL, RGB Headphones: Optional Leep Systems Inc, CyberFace 3 Resolution: 720x240. Just one display: it is MONOSCOPIC (but higher res than usual). Maybe it's the same Sharp LCD used by the Mirage (see below) but I don't know. Just guessing... FoV: ? (generically stated as WIDE! It can be 80H...) Weight: ? Video in: NTSC, PAL, RGB Headphones: No NOTE: It is boom mounted on the LEEP Freedom Arm, which gives mechanical tracking on 3 or 6 DoF. 4 buttons are available for navigation. W Industries, Visette Resolution: 372x276 TFT monitors 60mm X 46mm (Don't know how many inches it is!) FoV: 90-120H (90 if 100% binocular overlap, 120 if 50%), custom 12.5D Plano convex lens, 40mm diameter Weight: 6.4 lbs Video in: ? Headphones: Yes NOTE: this is part of the Virtuality system, and the visor is NOT sold separately. This HMD too uses a trasparent film to defocus the image VRontier worlds of Stoughton Inc, TIER 1 (Totally Immersive Exploration Realm) Resolution: 479x234. Each screen can be indipently adjusted for color, tint and brightness. They don't tell screen size, but state their screens are 25% bigger than most HMD LCDs. FoV: 112H custom optics called VRon (Virtual Reality optical non-distorting) Weight: 3.2 lbs Video in: NTSC Headphones: ? (Optional I guess) NOTE: Can accept also MONO input, and the same signal is split to both screens. It can also detached for mounting on an arm or be hand held, since the visor weights only 1.5 lbs Liquid Image Corp, Mirage Resolution: 720x240 Active Matrix Sharp TFT LCD, 5.7 inches. Just ONE screen: it is MONOSCOPIC. RGB Delta pixel arrangement. Cold cathode backlight Dot Pitch: 0.158mm x 0.365mm (HxV) FoV: exceeding 110H, clear proprietary lens Weight: ? Video in: NTSC, PAL option available Headphones: Yes, Sony model # MDRV200 digital RPI Advanced Technology Group, HMSI (Preliminry specs) Resolution: 412x210. (optional 640x480, 1024x768, 1280x1024!!) FoV: 110H x 65V (82H per eye) Weight: 0.8 lbs (eye wear) plus 0.8 lbs (power pack belt) Video in: RGB, NTSC, PAL (SECAM optional) Headphones: Yes, maybe optional NOTE: Can be see-through. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CRTs based HMD ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Virtual Reality Group and Virtual Reality Inc. (the HMD is the SAME!) Resolution: up to 1280x1024, 60MHz. Monochrome 1" CRTs Pupil resolution: 2 arc minutes per pixel Brightness: 25 foot-lambert IPD Adjustment: mechanical, 62-74mm FoV: 50 degrees diagonal (?). Stereo overlap: 35%, 67.5%, 100% Weight: 3.0 lbs Video in: NTSC Hi Res, VGA, 1280x1024 workstation Headphones: Optional NOTE: the Video System inclues electronic geometry correction logic that accounts for pixel distortion induced by the optical train in the periphery of the field of view. Can be configured to be see-through. Fake Space Labs, BOOM2C Resolution: 1280x1024 monochrome, half horizontal for color. Color use is limited because only two, R&B, of the RGB components are available. FoV: 90-100H, LEEP optics Weight: ? (The boom arm counterbalance it, so it is not important) Video in: ? NOTE: The full color version should be coming soon. It is a boom mounted device, with full 6 DoF tracking and 2 buttons on the handles. There are lower resolution, monochrome versions available Kaiser Electro-Optics, SimEye and/or AgilEye (!) I don't have any info directly from them, yet. Just merging info from a LOT of sources, so there may be confusion between the two models. These displays are generally used as Head Up Display in military applications (helicopters and figher jets). They are therefore see-through. Resolution: 525, 875, 1024 lines. Monochrome 1" CRTs (SimEye) Another source gives 1280x1024, 1024x1024, 1024x768 (It is probably the AgilEye) See through: 35% FoV: 60V x 40H, (40 circular each eye), custom optics IPD Adjustment: mechanical (?) Stereo overlap: 0%, 50%, 100% Another source gives Fixed 50% Focusing: from 3.5 feet to infinity Weight: 3.8 lbs Video in: RGB NOTE: I've been told there are also color versions. The most reliable info is that the SimEye is cheaper (and maybe the one with 525, 875, 1024 resolution), while the AgilEye is more expensive. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fiber Optics HMD ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CAE Electronics, FOHMD Pupil resolution: 5 arc minutes for the background 1.5 arc minutes for the hi-res insert Image source: Four liquid crystal light valve (LCLV) projectors. Images are then "condensed" onto fiber optic bundels with 4M fibers and delivered to the optical system on the HMD. The projectors are 4 since there's the stereo Hi-Res insert. There are smaller versions with 2 CRT FoV: 127H x 66V, with 38H (24%) of stereo overlap. 82.5H x 66V each eye Custom optics, called Pancake Windows(tm). In the stereo overlap region there is an hi-resolution insert of 25H x 18.9V. These numbers are for the hi-end versions of the HMD. Brightness: from 20 to 50 foot-lambert Contrast ratio: from 30:1 to 50:1 Weight: 5.0-6.0 lbs Video in: RGB NOTE: It is see-through. Its cost should be up to $1,000,000! Eye tracking is available on the light valve version. Head tracking is standard: 4 sensors mounted above the head track the movement of 6 LEDs on the helmet Polhemus Laboratories, no name This specs are back to last year (July), so things may have changed in the meantime. The numbers are those of a system delivered to NASA Ames in June 92. Resolution: 500 lines Image source: 2 Sanyo PLC 200N color projectors, linked to Head Coupled Sony cameras FoV: 30H (each eye) Focus: Infinity Weight: 5.5 oz Video in: depends on image source. NOTE: Can be opaque or see-through. Their plans were to develop a 800x600 pixel, 50H FoV system for the summer, and then a 2000x2000 pixel, 60H FoV (per eye) device. They planned to match HDTV in 18 months from then. I still have to call them to check. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ RUMORS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kaiser might be working on a lower cost color version of their product; it may be LCDs based or Textronix Color CRTs, or there might be TWO new HMD around. I still have to find it out. Virtual Research is also working on a better system. Both VRI and VRG are working on color version of their CRT HMD (probably field sequencing CRTs). This time different products! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ADDRESSES OF MENTIONED COMPANIES ATTENTION: Not all the phone and fax numbers have been checked. Some addresses might be old (I don't think, anyway...) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ VPL Research, Inc. ATTN: Jean Jacques Grimaud 3977 East Bayshore Road Palo Alto, CA 94303 USA Tel: (415) 988-2550 Fax: (415) 988-2557 Virtual Research ATTN: Cathy Cullinane 1313 Socorro Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94089 USA Tel: (408) 739-7114 Fax: (408) 739-8586 These numbers might be old. Recently someone on the net gave those numbers but I haven't checked out. Tel: (408) 748-8712 Fax: (408) 748-8714 Leep Systems, Inc. ATTN: Eric Howlett 541 Crescent Street Waltham, MA 02154-3425 USA Tel: (617) 647-1395 Fax: (617) 899-9602 W Industries ATTN: Linda Deal 3 Oswin Road Brailsford Industrial Park Leicester LE3 1HR UK Tel: (0533) 542127 Fax: (0533) 548222 VRontier World of Stoughton, Inc. ATTN: Tom Hayward 809 E. South Street Stoughton, WI 53589 USA Tel and Fax: (608) 873-8523 Liquid Image Corporation ATTN: Shannon O'Brian 582 King Edward Street Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada R3H OP1 Tel: (204) 772-0137 Fax: (204) 772-0239 RPI Advanced Technology Group ATTN: Anthony Rider or David Reed P.O. Box 14607 San Francisco, CA 94114 USA Tel: (415) 495-4460 Fax: (415) 777-3226 Email: rpi@well.sf.ca.us Virtual Reality Group (an Advanced Technology Systems Company) ATTN: Chris Lewis 800 Follin Lane, Suite 270 Vienna, VA 22180 USA Tel: (703) 242-0030 Fax: (703) 242-5220 Virtual Reality, Inc. ATTN: Frederick Budelman 485 Washington Avenue Pleasantville, NY 10570 USA Tel: (914) 769-0900 Fax: (914) 769-7106 NOTE: Recently someone on the net said that one of those two companies, VRG and VRI (I can't remember which) had changed its name into n-Vision. Someone please confirm or deny. Thanks. Fake Space Labs ATTN: Mark Bolas 935 Hamilton Avenue Menlo Park, CA 94025 USA Tel: (415) 688-1940 Fax: (415) 688-1949 Kaiser Electro-Optics, Inc. ATTN: Frank Hepburn 2752 Loker Avenue East Carlsbad, CA 92008 USA Tel: (619) 438-9255 Fax: (619) 438-6875 CAE Electronics, Ltd. ATTN: J.W. Paterson 8585 Cote de Liesse C.P. 1800 Saint Laurent, Quebec Canada H4L 4X4 Tel: (514) 341-6780 Fax: (514) 341-7699 Polhemus Laboratories, Inc. ATTN: Bill Polhemus P.O. Box 5 Cambridge, VT 05444 USA Tel: (802) 644-5569 Fax: (802) 644-2943 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ADDRESSES OF OTHER COMPANIES ATTENTION: Not all the phone and fax numbers have been checked. Some addresses might be old (I don't think, anyway...) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I still have to contact these companies, so I don't know much about their products. If any volonteer (sp?) wants to contact them, then please let us know! Hughes Simulation Systems ATTN: Ross Anderson 2200 Arlington Downs Road Arlington, TX 76011 USA Tel: (817) 640-5000 Fax: (817) 695-2222 They should build HMD for military elicopters (Apache) Concept Vision Systems, Inc. P.O. Box 786 Conway, WA 98238 USA Tel: (206) 336-3948 They are builing a new HMD. Their old one, the Alternate Reality Vision System had a VERY wide field of view (I've read of 270H x 120V) but required the user to wear special contact lenses!! Gosh... Spread Spectrum Technologies I KNOW NUTHIN'!!! Just the name There's also another company, which should release a color CRT HMD by June, but I can't say anything, yet! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ THAT'S ALL (FOR NOW!) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From news@acs.ucalgary.ca Mon Sep 26 09:16:16 1994 Return-Path: Received: from mx4.u.washington.edu by stein2.u.washington.edu (5.65+UW94.4/UW-NDC Revision: 2.30 ) id AA07863; Mon, 26 Sep 94 09:16:16 -0700 Received: from hitl-new.hitl.washington.edu by mx4.u.washington.edu (5.65+UW94.4/UW-NDC Revision: 2.30 ) id AA16881; Mon, 26 Sep 94 09:15:26 -0700 Received: by hitl.hitl.washington.edu; id AA25763; Mon, 26 Sep 1994 09:14:28 -0700 Received: from relay1.UU.NET by rodan.UU.NET with SMTP id QQxjau07309; Mon, 26 Sep 1994 12:13:46 -0400 From: news@acs.ucalgary.ca Received: from acs7.acs.ucalgary.ca by relay1.UU.NET with SMTP id QQxjau14524; Mon, 26 Sep 1994 12:13:39 -0400 Received: from acs2.acs.ucalgary.ca by acs7.acs.ucalgary.ca (AIX 3.2/UCB 5.64/4.03) id AA10985; Mon, 26 Sep 1994 10:14:09 -0600 Received: by acs2.acs.ucalgary.ca (AIX 3.2/UCB 5.64/4.03) id AA42867; Mon, 26 Sep 1994 16:14:08 GMT Date: Mon, 26 Sep 1994 16:14:08 GMT Message-Id: <9409261614.AA42867@acs2.acs.ucalgary.ca> To: sci-virtual-worlds@uunet.uu.net X-Status: Status: OR Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds Path: barney.geo.ucalgary.ca!thompson From: thompson@geo.ucalgary.ca (Douglas Thompson) Subject: TECH: HMD specs Message-ID: Date: Mon, 26 Sep 1994 15:12:14 GMT Lines: 81 Organization: University of Calgary X-Newsreader: Trumpet for Windows [Version 1.0 Rev A] Keywords: HMD, virtual reality Thought everyone might enjoy some information about a few HMD's that are available now or in early 1995. All information is current as of early September 1994, but I am not responsible for any changes in product or price that these companies deem necessary. Virtual I/O 1000 Lenora St, Ste 600 Seattle, WA 98121 (206) 382-7410 --*Personal Display System* --Display: 2 full color 0.7" LCD's --Resolution: 138,000 pixels --Input: 1 NTSC channel, field sequential --Optics: 40 degree FOV at 6 foot fixed focus --Weight: under 5 ounces --Audio: Stereo --Optons: Head tracking 3DOF, 60Hz --Price: probably under $400 --Available: early 1995 --*Gamer* --Display: 1 full color 0.7" LCD's --Resolution: 104,000 pixels --Input: 1 NTSC channel --Optics: 65 degree FOV at 6 foot fixed focus --Weight: under 16 ounces --Audio: Stereo --Head tracking: 3DOF, 60Hz --Price: probably under $250 --Available: early 1995 --*UltraView 2020r* --Display: 2 monochrome VGA CRT's with NuColor technology --Resolution: 640x480 (1280x960 soon) --Input: Frame sequential VGA, SGI Reality Engine --Optics: 50 degree FOV at 3 foot to infinity focus --Weight: under 2 pounds --Audio: Stereo --Head tracking: ?? --Price: call --Available: now Maxx Technologies Direct (800) 815-6299 --*Cyber Maxx Virtual Reality System* --Display: 2 0.7" active-matrix LCD's --Resolution: 120,000 pixels (an upgrade soon) --Input: VGA, NTSC, Mac --Optics: 62 degree FOV with individual focus --Weight: 14 to 16 ounces --Audio: Stereo --Head tracking: 3DOF (yaw, pitch, roll) --Price: $699+ --Available: now Kopin Corporation 695 Myles Standish Boulevard Myles Standish Industrial Park Taunton, MA 02780 (508) 824-6696 *This company sent me an annual report (nice and shiny), so the information is limited; however, their technology allows for very high resolution active-matrix displays in very small packages. It is called the SmartSlide and is a 640x480 LCD about the size of a 35mm slide. The HMD is very small and compact, including stereo headphones. Currently it is only monochrome, but the company is working on color displays (as of this writing they might have developped them). I hope this info is useful. If anyone else has any information about low-cost, decent-to-high quality HMD's or any other virtual reality hardware please e-mail me or post the info on sci.virtual-worlds. Thanks, Doug Thompson thompson@geo.ucalgary.ca