Even though the concept of virtual reality has been around for decades, at the current scientific level, there is still a long way to go to achieve the virtual game experience like Sword Paradise. In addition, I'm afraid that people will not love Oculus Rift at the price of $350.
However, under the east wind of Goolge Cardboard, Storm AV also launched its own virtual reality glasses - Storm Magic Mirror. The price of 99 yuan was also provided The Bluetooth joystick has directly refreshed the bottom line of the price of VR glasses, but how is its actual performance? Let's take a look now.
Appearance and workmanship
The machine is packed in simple kraft paper with the product name and slogan "Leave the Earth for 2 hours".
Due to cost constraints, the packaging is simpler. The product is placed on a transparent plastic tray, with only a small remote control, manual and warranty card attached.
The front of the product is a large smooth cover plate, which does have the taste of "magic mirror", but the polished plastic surface is easily contaminated with fingerprints and dust.
The whole "mirror frame" is in the shape of a double horn, and there is a concave reserved space at the nose.
The lens area is one yard larger than that of normal glasses, and the eyepiece (near the eye) has a thick and wide sponge washer, which makes it easier to wear.
There are three elastic straps on the back of the glasses to help the glasses stay on the user's head safely.
The front cover can be opened forward about 45 degrees to put the phone inside.
There are magnets for fixing in the opening and closing positions.
Inside the cover is a thick sponge, which is used to adapt to mobile phones of different thicknesses.
On both sides of the fixed position of the mobile phone, there are buffer pads for protecting the mobile phone. It can be seen here that the left and right fields of vision of glasses are completely separated.
In order to provide greater vision, the lenses are made very large; For the sake of edge clarity, the lens focal length is large, resulting in a long and empty mirror body Kuang ".
The shape of the joystick is very mini, and the surface is made of frosted material. The upper left corner is a joystick like a game controller, and the lower right corner is the logo of the manufacturer.
The other side is completely symmetrical. Although it looks like a skin like coating, in fact it is all hard plastic.
The joystick reminder is very small, the key position is set reasonably, and the feel is good.
There are three buttons A, B and C on the front of the control lever.
Button B has a bulge, which is convenient for users to operate blindly. The touch of the keys is very similar to the remote control of the remote control toy. The key range is short and the feedback is hard, which is more different from the buttons on the game handle.
The C button is set in the groove, but users with smaller keys and larger fingers may feel inconvenient to press.
The top of the joystick is the rocker and the confirmation key (also the power key), and the bottom is a status indicator.
In order to prevent flying off, a rope hole is designed at the bottom of the control lever (see the right side of the screw).
The remote control lever is powered by two AAA batteries.
Open the official application, plug the phone into the preset position, close the cover and start working.
The lens is one circle larger than the normal telescope lens, which directly leads to the huge size of the whole machine (see the size of the hand). It can be used even with similar glasses.
If you look carefully, you can see that there are concentric grooves on the lens. It is estimated that they are used to eliminate the graininess and water ripple of the screen.
The above picture is a live shot. Users who have used Google Cardboard and other VR glasses may know that even the 5-inch 1080P screen (PPI is 441) will see obvious graininess because their eyes are too close to the screen, but the actual visual experience of Storm Mirror does not have obvious graininess.
It is estimated that there are two reasons. One is that the official has purposely enlarged the lens and focal length, so the screen distance will be larger than that of ordinary VR glasses; Second, concentric circles of stripes are made on the lens, which may play a role in combating particles and water ripples.
In addition, the roller for adjusting the pupil distance and the eye vent, which are not available in the engineering version, are officially announced to be included in the official version. However, the author is more curious that the structure of the pupil distance adjustment roller is more complex. Will the official version be added in time?
Principle and Application
"Virtual reality" is a device that simulates/reproduces various human feelings, including but not limited to vision, hearing, smell, touch, temperature, etc., of which vision and hearing are the most important and feasible.
Before the rapid development of brainwave technology, there were only two ways for human beings to provide "immersive" visual experience: make the screen larger, or shorten the distance between eyes and the screen. It is obvious that the virtual display glasses use the latter. When it makes the screen larger, it isolates the external light, which will create an illusion of immersion in another space.
With the help of position sensors such as three-axis gyroscopes and gravity sensors, the images can respond to the movement of the wearer's head and generate realistic visual feedback. The rest is sound and touch, but due to technology limitations, the current touch feedback is only vibration
In terms of hardware principle, the Storm Mirror is just a glasses/helmet used to fix the mobile phone. Its focus is on the official app and joystick, which allow visual content to make corresponding feedback based on the user's head movement and provide real-time manipulation.
In terms of use, in addition to conventional 3D movie watching, it is naturally the first perspective game, machine control, and virtual experience (street view, virtual exhibition, etc.).
Usage
The whole set of virtual reality equipment consists of a mirror, a joystick and a user's mobile phone. After the joystick is connected to the mobile phone through Bluetooth, the mirror body is responsible for providing 3D and immersive vision, the mobile phone provides an interface, and the joystick provides operation instructions.
The schematic diagram of key functions is shown above. The joystick here is actually a Bluetooth game handle, which responds quickly to actual operation. The handle of the joystick has a strong smell of PS game console.
After entering the application, the phone will look like the picture above. The display will be divided into two different images of left and right eyes, and their display content will have a slight angle difference (left and right eye parallax).
On the home page, there are icons of the four core functions of "local and online video, games, and live experience".
Three 3D demos are included in the local video, and the mobile phone will vibrate with the story to enhance the realism.
Several modes such as 2D, 3D, up and down split screen, left and right switching are supported during playback. The above figure shows 2D mode.
It even has 4 split screen mode. The simultaneous playback of 4-way Avatar has caused a huge problem for the processor, and even Xiaomi 3 is stuck.
Of course, it can also 3D other videos in the mobile phone. Users can directly watch local movies and videos taken by themselves.
Online video uses an option interface similar to the PS game console. The up and down arrow keys can be used to switch between several categories of "TV, movies, animation", while the left and right arrow keys are used to jump from the same type of movie source.
It can also click the category card to enter the traditional display mode, but there are only 8 real 3D film sources for the time being
The "live" function is actually a holographic film. For the time being, there is only one holographic video of driving a helicopter. During the playback, the user's perspective will change according to the head direction and angle.
Users can also press the button to stop at a moment to enjoy 360 degree holograms. It feels like the hacker empire can control time and space. It's a little cool XD
In terms of games, the official only provides fairy tale town and horror manor for the time being. Fairy Tale Town is a first person perspective game, which can control the protagonist to travel around in the Fairy Tale Town through the steering bar. However, it does not seem to have the function of breakthrough or cultivation for the time being, so it is just a pure 3D Fairy Tale Town for the time being.
The Horror Manor also controls the characters to visit in the personalized 3D scene, which should be an adventure puzzle game. The vision of the game characters is limited to a flashlight, and the horrible atmosphere is created well. This time, there is also a key prompt, which can do some interaction, such as picking up a bone. However, the author urgently needs to recharge his IQ, and has not yet been embarrassed.
Operation experience
The use experience of VR glasses is mainly affected by the following parameters:
Wearing comfort: Storm Mirror uses a lot of cushioning materials, which can provide good wearing comfort. The other is the weight of the frame. The measured weight is about 225g. With a 145g mobile phone, the overall weight is 370g. It is not a problem to wear it for a short time. However, if you want to use it for a long time, it is recommended to use a lighter mobile phone
Vertigo: This is a common problem caused by 3D vision, and the severity varies from person to person. If you feel dizzy even watching 3D movies, it is recommended to wait for the next generation of 3D technology. The Storm Mirror itself only uses position feedback in the holographic film. When it is used to watch movies daily, it is more a "big screen" device, with a light sense of vertigo.
Operation mode: The official standard joystick feels good, plus the three-axis gyroscope bonus, the control experience is no problem.
Head tracking sensitivity: In the hologram, it is estimated that the official has deliberately lowered the head tracking sensitivity. The glasses ignore many small tremors to ensure the stability of vision, which is relatively comfortable to use. However, if you play shooting games that require high-speed response, you will suffer.
Application verisimilitude: mainly including games and holographic films. The two games provided officially are still in an early stage, and due to the mobile phone processor capacity, the images cannot be too delicate and delicate, but it is more than enough for users to experience the immersion of virtual reality.
Clarity: This is directly related to the phone in the glasses. The higher the PPI of the phone screen, the more delicate it looks naturally. In addition, because the screen is divided into two parts for use, only half of the resolution can be seen after being processed and fused by the human eye. Even for the 1080P screen, the final perceived resolution is only 920 * 1080, which directly leads to two results: the screen seen is square, and the picture is elongated
Price and applicable models
The price of Storm Mirror is 99 yuan, and the purchase method is similar to millet style "official website rush purchase", which is still in the engineering machine stage.
Only devices above Android 4.0 are supported for the time being, and Bluetooth and gyroscope sensors are required. The officially recommended mobile phone screen range is 4.7-6 inches, and the maximum supported size is 15.8cm * 8.5cm. However, the Xiaomi 2 with a 4.3 inch screen actually works normally in it, but the visible area will be smaller.
In terms of compatible models, they are the best compatible with Qualcomm and Samsung Orion processors, and Xiaomi Meizu and other models are of no concern. However, before purchasing, it is recommended to go to the official forum to check the model compatibility table.
competitor
Virtual reality glasses that are close to mass production or have been listed mainly include the following:
The most famous is Oculus Rift, with a binocular resolution of 1280 * 800. It directly uses two displays instead of optical lenses (Samsung's AMOLED screen). It weighs 453g and sells for 350 dollars (about 2170 yuan). However, it is still a product for developers, which is troublesome to use.
Sony HMZ series has three consecutive generations of products, mainly for 3D viewing. The latest HMZ T3 uses two 720P OlED monitors, which can provide viewing effect of watching 750 inch 3D giant screen at 20 meters. However, the domestic price is a little less sincere, Shenghui 7999 yuan.
Samsung's Gear VR virtual reality eye mask, which requires a mobile phone as a display module, will be launched in South Korea on December 1, with a price of about 187 dollars (about 1122 yuan), and is only compatible with Samsung's mobile phones for the time being
The oldest is Nintendo's Virtual Boy, which is intended to be used as a game console and has been on sale since 1995. But at that time, the price was 179 dollars (about 1074 yuan). The 384x224 resolution display could only provide four colors and 32 levels of grayscale. The processor's main frequency was 20Mhz. Well, I'm sure it was 20Mhz
The most frightening thing is the Air VR, whose display device is the iPad mini... The price is $49 (about 300 yuan), and the weight of the upgraded version is 150g. Fortunately, the iPad mini is only 308g, and the weight is OK, but the effect is a bit strange.
Of course, the most Geek is Google Cardboard. Its deadweight is no more than 50g, the lowest price is $20 (120 yuan), and it can also be made by hand. If you don't mind that it can't be fixed on the head, it's pretty cool.
Technical problems and difficulties
The biggest problems of VR glasses are as follows:
Processor: the display device needs to process two-way images at the same time, and also needs 3D processing, which requires high processor and optimization.
Heating and endurance: During the use, the glasses need to call multiple sensors at the same time, and the display device is almost working at full strength, so the heating is very considerable and cannot be opened normally. The recommended use time of Magic Mirror is not more than 30min, while that of Samsung's Gear VR is 25min (it has also been complained of overheating during work these days).
Resolution: because the distance between the naked eye and the screen is set to be very close, and the binocular perspective must be provided at the same time, the resolution must be halved, so a very high PPI is required to eliminate the graininess of the screen. Even the current highest 2K mobile phone screen is powerless. In addition, the 16:9 mobile phone screen will become 8:9 on them, and the things you see will be flattened
The problem of 3D movie source: 3D movie source has always been a pain for 3D devices. In addition, not every 3D movie can display well, otherwise Avatar will not become a legend.
summary
In the face of competitors of the same kind, Storm Mirror does have obvious cost performance advantages. The 99 yuan Soft Sister Coin also has a Bluetooth remote control, which is more conscientious than foreign products that cost more than 1000 yuan.
It's comfortable to wear and smooth to operate. Although the games in it are not very practical for the time being, 3D film sources are also quite lacking. Even so, it is an alternative way for mobile phones to provide large screen enjoyment, and the effect of watching a movie is always better than holding a mobile phone. Unfortunately, the remote control handle can only be used in official applications.
The final purchase suggestion is that it does have practical use value, and it also leaves a sufficiently low threshold for impulse shopping for the shopper. It is worth buying if you want to experience virtual reality or treat it as a "3D cinema". Of course, the premise is that you must first get it on the official website
