From: dstamp@watserv1.waterloo.edu (Dave Stampe-Psy+Eng)
Subject: Re: Cheap eyephones?
Date: Sun, 8 Dec 1991 03:56:05 GMT
Message-ID: <1991Dec8.035605.11483@watserv1.waterloo.edu>
Organization: University of Waterloo



jaynes%asylum@hellgate.utah.edu (Chris Jaynes) writes:

>  I am looking to buy or build an eyephone system for around $1,000.
>Preferably without having to tear up a lot of household appliances.
>What types of options are available within this price range?

So far, if you want to meet this price, you have to build it yourself.
Now, the simplest way I've found to do this involves Sharp LCD modules
but the cost is about $1000 for displays etc. then.  And you still
must hack together power supplies, interface, etc.

I don't think the $1000 eyephone day (purchase cost) is that far off,
but you can't just buy one yet.  Your options now are:

- Single-eye systems (cost is halved)
- Camera viewfinders (small FOV)
- Handheld LCD TVs (very poor resolution) plus Fresnel lenses or 
  20D glass ones (but HUGE distortions).  This gives you 50 to 100
  degree FOVs.
- Adapt commercial LCD panels (Sharp, etc) but cost is a bit high.

I'm sure within 6 months there will be some projects finished that 
illustrate how to do cheap eyephones, and commercial stuff will follow.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| My life is Hardware,                    |                              | 
| my destiny is Software,                 |         Dave Stampe          |
| my CPU is Wetware...                    |                              | 
| Anybody got a SDB I can borrow?         | dstamp@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca |
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