FullDive virtual reality headset creators see the $29 device as expanding accessibility on the road to full-scale VR adoption.
Even with a charming price tag, no corners have been cut to get the FullDive VR Wear + Wand to market. The world-class team responsible for the roll out of the device and accompanying software are engineers, product designers, marketers and operational crew hailing from technology giants Google X, Cisco, Microsoft, HTC, Exigen Services and Tesla.
Company operations commenced just last year and the working prototype was released only three months ago. In a quick bid to capture the booming market, delivery of preorders are expected mid-December, making the headset an affordable holiday present for those looking be introduced to the VR world for the first time.
FullDive creators see the device’s price point as more than just a business opportunity as expanded accessibility is a much-needed reality in the road to full-scale VR adoption:
Although there are other VR headsets in the market, most of them are priced above $200. The Google Cardboard is currently the most affordable option, but there is not much flexibility for the different types of phones and it’s still cardboard. Additionally, many of these headsets also require the connection to a computer.
In order for the VR industry to really take off, headsets need to be sold at a reasonable price so there will be more incentive to create VR applications. Since users only need to download the free FullDive application on their smartphones, it is not only affordable but accessible to the majority of the population.
Designed with precision engineering, the FullDive headgear fits most Apple, Google (LG and Motorola), HTC, Oneplus and Samsung smartphones. Users will pair the FullDive Wear (called eyegear) with their compatible phone and control the device through the hand held FullDive Wand (as pictured below). The unique wand makes the unit the first controller-based VR headset and holographic platform to enter the marketplace.
The eyegear adjusts to any head size for comfort and the interchangeable lenses work with any glasses. The accompanying apps are conveniently already available through Google Play and the Apple Store. Co-founder Eddie Ow says:
The device comes with a small, medium or large headstrap, all of them are adjustable IPDs and the ranges are quite big. The headstraps are very comfortable and fit your head perfectly versus the elastic headstraps that usually fit very tight.
Enabling complete engagement of a global audience, FullDive also offers software development kits for customers to develop their own augmented reality apps, allowing endless opportunities for budding innovators.
As the FullDive states:
Virtual reality might be a foreign topic to many, but we’re striving to create content that showcases VR as a fun and engaging experience.
We also see VR expanding to travel: imagine Snapchat stories in other countries except you’re actually there and being able to control the camera. VR would take online shopping to another level through perusal of products in a virtual showcase, room decor, and virtual fitting rooms. VR has potential in many areas in engineering, education, and medical uses.
Rather than simply tech novelty, FullDive sees VR as the natural progression in an always-changing media landscape:
VR is the new way people will experience media. In the past, radio (1D) evolved to TV (2D), TV to Computer (2D with you as the controller), and now computer to VR (3D world and you can control it).
This is just the first announcement for FullDive. We are told to expect FullDive Video 3D, that allows you to play 3D videos; FullDive Browser, to browse Facebook, Google and webpages with; FullDive Market, which provides access all existing VR applications; FullDive Camera; FullDive Stream, for watching streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and Roku; and FullDive
Beyond it’s growing ability to entertain, a highly affordable VR headset will ensure that virtual reality may extend into more impactful aspects of life. FullDive has a few use cases in mind:
Education will benefit from virtual reality by bringing unlimited hands-on-training to people or organizations that would otherwise not be able to afford it. Think of welders and surgeons. While wildly diverse in the level of skill and education, both professions largely rely on students gaining real experience. The ability to give these students an unlimited amount of training through a low-cost device like FullDive will have untold impact on the way these trainings occur. Also, think of the boom in online education.
The pitfall of this burgeoning segment of education is the lack of peer support. Students don’t have the benefit of friends in the same room taking the same class. With a headset like FullDive, students will be able to form a digital classroom and obtain many of the same benefits of a traditional classroom.
Affordable virtual reality will also benefit therapies for individuals suffering from phantom limb pains. Effective therapies are being developed to provide sufferers with a virtual limb that they could “relax” to alleviate the pain. FullDive will allow sufferers to utilize these therapies in their homes without relying on an expensive piece of hardware.
