Head-mounted display made of cardboard and smartphone

Virtual reality technology is actively developed in recent years, but the price of such equipment still remains extremely high. I decided to change the situation of a group of enthusiasts from Google. They made a head-mounted display of cardboard, and as a screen in it performs the most common smartphone.

The result of their work - the project Cardboard. In addition to the helmet, the system includes an open and free development environment that makes the process of creating an accompanying software is not difficult to write mobile or web application.

materials

For the manufacture of helmet shell does not require any expensive or difficult components.

Almost all of these parts can be found right at home either purchase online or local store (on the official website of Cardboard component references are to US and European stores, but we are confident that you will easily You can find similar materials in our online stores using appropriate search requests).

Cardboard. Best suitable corrugated sheet, a dense and thin (e.g., preferable to use analogue material used to make shoe boxes than from cardboard boxes for televisions and washing machines). The minimum size of sheet - 22 × 56 cm.

Lens. It is most difficult to find an element in the whole system. Best be biconcave lens with a focal length of 40 millimeters.

Magnets. One neodymium magnet in the shape of a ring + a ceramic magnet in the form of a disk. The optimum size of diameter 19 millimeters and a thickness of 3 millimeters.

Textile buckle (Velcro). It requires two strips of material 20–30 millimeters each.

Rubber. Smartphone is fixed inside the helmet gum. The minimum length - 8 centimeters.

Optionally, the system can be turned on NFC-marker.

Also, for the assembly of the helmet need auxiliary tools: ruler, glue, scissors, stationery knife (scalpel or X-Acto or similar).

Sketch board tenderloin

Software

Users can create their own VR-products using a tool VR Toolkit.

Documentation for Developers

Cardboard Test app from Google

If you feel the strength to collect a helmet, but it is unlikely to quickly overpower the development of its own product, then try your VR-helmet in demonstration scenarios, preset in the Android app Cardboard.

or use Chrome Experiments for Cardboard.