Experience Virtual Reality With ZEISS VR ONE

VR app contest highlights headset’s market entry

Published: Tuesday, December 16, 2014 - 15:21

(ZEISS: Oberkochen, Germany) -- Experience virtual reality any time, any place: In December 2014, for $99, ZEISS is launching the ZEISS VR ONE, a mobile virtual reality (VR) headset that works with smartphones and features display sizes between 4.7 in. and 5.2 in.

The focus of the development team was on user-friendliness, design, and technology. To dive into virtual worlds, all the user needs to do is select an appropriate VR app and slide his smartphone into the headset using the tray provided. ZEISS VR ONE will initially be available worldwide with a tray for the Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone and the iPhone 6. Other models are in the pipeline. CAD data for the rapid prototyping of the trays, with the aid of 3D printing, will be published for other smartphones in the near future.

“Particularly as far as system openness and the price are concerned, the headset constitutes a smart solution,” says Markus Weber, head of corporate research and technology at ZEISS. “Our young team is gathering the feedback on the product’s development potential from the VR community for further improvements.”

The transparent visor on the front allows the use of augmented reality apps with the smartphone camera. Eyeglass wearers can also use ZEISS VR ONE without difficulty because the “eye box” is large enough for most eyeglass frames, therefore eliminating the need for complicated adjustments on the integrated ZEISS lenses.

Two ZEISS VR ONE apps open up new possibilities

Besides the existing offering, two apps developed by ZEISS will be available for the product launch. With the ZEISS VR ONE Media Launcher app, users can select compatible VR apps and install them on their smartphones. The ZEISS VR ONE Cinema app is a virtual movie theater on which 3D films can be viewed.

“ZEISS VR ONE is certainly not a core product of the ZEISS Group,” says ZEISS project manager Andreas Klavehn. “However, it’s fun and it represents our contribution to the usefulness of virtual reality apps. With the inclusion of the free software development kit and an operating concept and solution for accelerated head tracking, ZEISS VR ONE offers a broad foundation for future apps.”

This potential will now be developed together with the global VR community in an open contest: From now until Feb. 16, 2015, innovative ideas and visions, as well as finished apps, can be submitted via an online contest platform. No limits are set to the imaginative, creative, and innovative skills of the community. A jury of international experts will then select one winner each in two categories: ideation and apps.

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About The Author

ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions

Headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany, ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions is a member of the Carl Zeiss Group. It is a global leader in CNC coordinate measuring machines and complete, multidimensional metrology solutions for a wide variety of industrial sectors. Approximately 1,800 employees at three manufacturing locations and more than 100 sales and service centers serve customers around the world.

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