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| Comparison image (shot with a Sony RX100 IV) viewed through Varjo’s ‘bionic’ display (above) and an Oculus headset. Image courtesy Varjo |
Poor display resolution is one of the hurdles VR needs to overcome if it’s going to gain traction with a larger audience. That’s why Finnish company Varjo is actively developing a virtual reality/augmented reality headset codenamed ’20/20,’ a moniker that refers to its ‘human eye resolution’ display. While the Oculus Rift offers approximately 1.2MP for each eye, Varjo aims to far exceed that resolution at 70MP, though with a twist: the ’20/20′ headset tracks which objects the wearer is looking at, rendering those objects at a very high resolution while objects in the wearer’s peripheral vision are lower resolution.
Varjo hasn’t gone into great detail about the technology behind its headset, though Engadget reports that it is using what the company calls a ‘bionic display’ alongside ‘foveated eye tracking,’ the combination of which makes its VR ’10 years ahead of the current state-of-the-art.’ The company claims to employ scientists who previously worked at Intel, Microsoft, and NVIDIA, among others.
The company goes on to claim that its ’20/20′ headset can also be used for augmented reality and mixed reality applications, though details on both are slight at this time. Likewise, information on Varjo’s launch plans are unclear, though the company states that pro-tier ‘Varjo-branded products’ will start shipping in the fourth quarter of this year. Varjo offers several photos comparing its display technology with that of existing VR headsets here.
Via: Engadget, Varjo
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)