All people who are tuned in to virtual reality (VR), and quite a large number of the general public, know exactly what the Google Cardboard is: a cheap and easy solution to the less accessible high-end stuff. Now there could be the augmented reality (AR) equivilant after Seebright has launched its own mobile-based AR hand-held display, the Seebright Ripple.
This AR mobile viewer is the first of its kind to hit the market, using the phone’s camera to connect with the applications available. The field of view (FOV) is 56-degrees, and a nine inch focus distance for the user to experience the most amount of comfort. As well as the viewer itself, which is laser-cut and user-assembled, there is also a Seebright software developer kit (SDK) and Ripple emulator for those who want to try their hand at creating applications for the viewer, and it can be accessed through the Seebright Developer Portal.
Dirk Kanngiesser, CEO of Seebright, told in a press release of the unique selling points of the Seebright Ripple: “Making see-through displays affordable is the best way to accelerate development and spark creativity,
“We created the Seebright Ripple to put augmented reality in the hands of the thousands of developers and pioneering users overnight.”
The Seebright Ripple is currently available online at the price of $39.99 USD, not too far off the range of what the Google Cardboard is priced at, and it will be ready to be delivered ths month. This viewer will be followed by additional models as well as Seebright’s mobile-based head-mounted display (HMD), the Seebright Wave. It’s stated that it is powered by “today’s most popular iOS and Android smartphones”, and although it hasn’t been outlined which phones are exactly supported, it can be assumed that if you can access an AR app, you will be able to use it.
For more on AR hardware, as well as all the latest news and updates in the world of VR, make sure to check back with VRFocus.
