The Problem

• Industry leading VR hardware and software is closed source and often hostile to developers
• Popular Headsets such as the Oculus Quest have very low availability outside of western nations

Goals

• Develop a hardware and software ecosystem of similar quality to the Oculus headsets while remaining open source
• Keep prices as low as possible to increase accessibility
• allow people to customize hardware to fit their price range

Target Users

• Makers who want a highly accessible piece of technology they can tinker with
• General consumers that want more a affordable and customizable VR experience

Open Source Initiatives

Hades VR

By LiquidCGS

Slime VR

By The Slime VR Team

Relativity VR

By Maxim Perumal and the Relativity VR team

Previous Versions

MK1

An early prototype to get acquainted with VR tech and practice 3d modeling skills.

MK3

MK2

Another early prototype using laser cut wood for rapid prototyping with lens adjustment and computer vision.

The first attempt at a final consumer product although it ended up lacking polish and many lessons learned from it were brought into MK4

MK3 Pitfalls

Uncomfortable plastic face socket

Adjustment requires screw driver

Uncomfortable and clunky adjustment

Hard to modify electronics

MK4 Changes

High performance and cheaper micro controller

Easy ratcheting adjustment

Lower profile screen

Soft TPU rubber pads

Modular electronics mounting

Quick lens adjustment

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)

• Provides flexible and soft 3d prints for increased comfort
• Slightly harder to 3d print at high quality
• Extremely durable
• Used in headset face padding

Ratchet Adjustment

• A ratchet that automatically unlocks through the dial being counter rotated
• Offers extremely simple and fast adjustment
• Significantly more durable than previous solutions

Modular Electronics

• Easily removable electronics for easy modification
• Fully screw free assembly
• Extremely low cost at $6 for 3DOF tracking, $50 for low resolution screen, and $50 for 6DOF tracking

Challenges

• Ribbon cable on screen getting torn making the headset non functional
• Poor print quality with TPU
• Creating assembly methods that don't require screws

Next Steps

• Source replacement screens
• Create better screen and screen driver housings to prevent damage
• Eliminate the need for supports while 3d printing
• Implement polish such and dust gasket for screen and more lens adjustment