Headset offers virtual reality you can control with your hands

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BY ADARIO STRANGE2015-03-17 02:29:32 UTC

In the last few months we've seen virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift cleverly paired with the Leap Motion gesture controller to deliver a more interactive experience, but one company has managed to merge the two concepts into one device.

The Impression Pi is a wearable VR headset that embeds the ability to track your gestures into the hardware itself — no Leap Motion hack needed.

SEE ALSO: This gaming accessory could be the future of virtual reality fitness

Launched as a Kickstarter project by San Jose, California-based Usens, the device quickly blew past its goal of $78,000, and, as of this writing, has passed the $82,000 mark, with almost two months left to raise cash.

There are a number of options available for developers and tinkerers looking for a DIY project, but the consumer-ready versions are the most compelling.

For $279 you can buy a version of the headset (which has about two hours of battery life) that allows you to place your iPhone 6 or Android phone into the headset for VR functionality (much like the Samsung Gear VR). And for $359 you get the all-in-one version of the device (with about one and a half hours of battery life), which has its own built-in display (no mobile phone necessary).

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But with a number of VR devices now flooding the market, including the Oculus Rift, Razer OSVR and now Valve's HTC Re Vive, breaking in with a new device not backed by a giant could be difficult.

"I really like Oculus Rift, but we are going for a different market and use case," Yue Fei, the chief technology officer of Usens," told Mashable. "I don't think we are directly competing with each other, Oculus is very focused on giving people a very fast video experience, and their first target is hardcore gamers. But they have done a lot of work that has helped the VR industry."

In fact, when it comes to comparisons, Fei says Microsoft's HoloLens is a better example due to the fact that the Impression Pi also offers augmented reality functions.

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"AR is not the main focus with Oculus," says Fei. "Compared to the HoloLens, we are more similar, but we have a solution that is much cheaper and more realistic from a technology point of view. And we are more open to supporting Android and iOS."

Fei believes that delivering AR through the Impression Pi's video display is better than having someone place a lens over their eyes, as with the HoloLens or Google Glass.

"[AR lens overlays] always have a dark grey cover, making the real world harder to see," says Fei. "The other drawback is that the viewing angle is extremely small and needs to be adjusted to the viewer's eyes carefully." (Fei claims the viewing angle on the Impression Pi is 90 degrees.)

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At present, the device doesn't come with its own VR or AR content, for that the company is hoping its DIY-centric approach and software development kit (SDK) will inspire coders to create software for the device.

However, Fei says that there will be VR and AR content software, developed in-house by Usens, ready for consumers who receive the device, which is scheduled to ship out in December.

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