Projecting Virtual Reality with a Microvision SHOWWX

Projected virtual reality first person shooter, using a Microvision SHOWWX as the display method, a PNI SpacePoint Fusion for aiming, and a Wii Remote and Nunchuk for moving and shooting. The software is a hacked version of Cube, with libhid interfacing the SpacePoint and CWiid interfacing the Wiimote. A writeup and source code are on my blog: http://eclecti.cc/videogames/projecting-virtual-reality-with-a-microvision-sh...

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• virtual reality
• wiimote
• spacepoint
• projector
• picoprojector
• microvision
• showwx

[dougefresh85]

Great idea! I will second "Samouflage" and say patent this idea NOWish before someone steals the concept and makes millions.

[spongezone]

@dougefresh85 I'll quote the great Woody Guthrie on this one:

This song is Copyrighted in U.S., under Seal of Copyright # 154085, for a period of 28 years, and anybody caught singin it without our permission, will be mighty good friends of ourn, cause we dont give a dern. Publish it. Write it. Sing it. Swing to it. Yodel it. We wrote it, thats all we wanted to do.

[tankexmortis]

I can see that this is technically impressive and demonstrates some real creativity, and kudos for that, but it seems like a lot of effort for something that's much more easily accomplished with a stationary screen and regular controls. Maybe if you could project a 360 degree screen in there it'd have potential, but with the same field of view as any old computer game you're really throwing virtual reality tech at something that isn't remotely ready for it.

[spongezone]

@tankexmortis That's why it's a hack, and not a company trying to sell a product. ;)

[Slug99]

Looks great, however if you want a truely awesome effect you should find a way to mount the whole thing on your head so that when you turn your head, the image follows your field of vision.

[spongezone]

@Slug99 I'm considering helmet mounting it. The issue is decoupling the viewing from the aiming of the gun, so you don't have to move your head to shoot an enemy.

That's something I can't do without a serious overhaul of Cube, the first person shooter I hacked for this. It will take some time, but I may just write my own sandbox to play around with this stuff in, using a library like Panda3d or Ogre3d.

[BigBensHelp]

we need virtual glasses that project a newer  doom game so its more realistic

[styrumg]

Sh-sh-sh... Here is a coupon code to get VGA Dock for free when you buy SHOWWX at the Microvision site (otherwise it's $50!): MVISREF1229. Valid until 9/30/2010

[KodaB1]

if you manage to decouple the aiming of the gun from the projector, you might consider something lime ATI eyefinity 6 combined with multiple projectors to create a full 360 environment... just a thought ;) keep up the good work buddy!

[dougefresh85]

@spongezone

Touché. So you just want the tech to happen and don't care about profits? I kinda admire you for that. I hope you put up more vids on your progress for I am subscribed and and very interested in this concept. I hope one day everyone can play FPS in a white circular rooms!

[JackOfSpades93]

I can imagine mounting the projector on the head and adding "waypoints" on the projected image so the control device knows where it is pointing.

[toolslave]

Damn this is awesome! Great job!