OpenGear: Turn Your Galaxy Note 4 into a Virtual Reality Headset

Fun & Games Technology
OpenGear: Turn Your Galaxy Note 4 into a Virtual Reality Headset
STโ€™s STM32F3 motion controller provides tracking for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 that drives the Gear VR.
STโ€™s STM32F3 motion controller provides tracking for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 that drives the Gear VR.

 

VR (Virtual Reality) headsets are all the rage for technophiles, which is amazing considering most major electronics companies havenโ€™t released their respective wares to the market yet. For those who cannot wait for those companies (looking at you Sony, Oculus and Valve) headsets, perhaps they should take a look at the OpenGear Project, which turns Samsungโ€™s Galaxy Note 4 into a Gear VR-like device.

 

The OpenGear Project (from OpenGear no less) features open-source hardware and software anyone can modify to their hearts content. Turning the Galaxy Note 4 into a VR headset is easy to do and consists of using the smartphone as the base, which is connected to a cardboard enclosure thatโ€™s outfitted with a pair of lenses, giving it that VR effect.

Those that donโ€™t want to use OpenGearโ€™s cardboard enclosure can 3D print their own thanks to Thingiverse user skyworxx.
Those that donโ€™t want to use OpenGearโ€™s cardboard enclosure can 3D print their own thanks to Thingiverse user skyworxx.

 

Motion tracking is done by connecting STโ€™s STM32F3 Discovery development board, which has all the necessary tech needed, including a 3-axis L3GD20 gyro and LSM303DLHC accelerometer/magnetometer. This allows the wearerโ€™s head to be tracked in real-time.

Open-source firmware makes the Note 4 see the development board as a VR headset similar to the Oculus Rift. Users can use the device to develop and share their own VR apps, which is what the Project is all about.

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