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From: lowry@src.honeywell.com (Dave Lowry)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Homebrew VR gear
Message-ID: <7508@milton.u.washington.edu>
Date: 13 Sep 90 16:20:54 GMT
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Hobbyist-level VR gear can be cobbled together pretty cheaply.  I've
built the following:

$200 - Stereo headset made of two Sony camcorder monitors driven by a 
       Mac II with two video boards.  Field-of-view is very narrow;
       someone knowledgeble in optics could probably fix this easily.
       The monitors need only +5v, ground, and an ntsc composite signal.

  $5 - DataFinger made from an IR LED and a phototransistor from Radio
       Shack.  A loop of cheap fiber optic cable connects the two.  
       When powered by 5v, the signal at the phototransistor varies
       by a couple of volts over the travel of a knuckle joint.  Scratch
       the outside surface of the fiber so that light will escape as
       it is bent.  

$150 - 3-Space sensor (roll, pitch, yaw).  Haven't actually finished
       this one.  Radio Shack sells a flux gate compass for $50 that
       outputs magnetic heading by sensing the Earth's magnetic field
       lines.  As the compeass is pitched or rolled, it thinks the
       heading has changed.  So, it seems to me you could assemble
       three of these in orthogonal axes, and, with a little math,
       get roll, pitch, and yaw out.

All of these projects are extremely crude compared to the commercial 
offerings, but I'd encourage basement cybernauts to play with this
stuff, because I think that's where the innovation and inspiration
to make VR a reality is going to come from.


Disclaimer: All opinions and data expressed are my own and do not necessarily
            reflect those of my employer.