Last year was a turning point for Facebook. The company rebranded Facebook Connect in 2021 and came under the umbrella of the newly formed Meta with all its connected services. At the same time, Mark Zuckerberg’s crazy project Metaverse, which we come across frequently these days, also entered our lives.
Of course, VR technologies play a critical role in the realization of the goals that Zuckerberg announced regarding Metaverse. Although today’s VR headsets offer high-end 3D visual experiences, they are still different from what we see in the real world. However, Meta spends a lot of time on this subject, both materially and spiritually. Finally, the company showed off prototypes of its new VR products.
Meta showed prototypes of VR products
As we mentioned above, VR headsets have lower resolution than laptops, televisions and phones. In fact, the lenses of the product deteriorate the vision quality of the users after a while. In short, it cannot be used for long periods of time.
Prototypes that Meta has been working on since 2014
Meta continues its efforts to create an imaging system that eliminates such problems in the field of Virtual Reality (VR) and raises the user experience to the next level. This technology, in addition to having an advanced and light screen, offers the user a real world viewing experience even though they are wearing a VR headset.
The Visual Turing Test, which has been launched as the highest point you can reach in the concept of image research, has a critical importance. Because the Vision Systems Research (DSR) team in Meta’s Reality Labs VR division is working on some new technologies to pass the test.
The technologies developed by Meta to pass the Visual Turing Test are as follows;
- “Variable-focus” technology that ensures accurate focusing and provides clear and comfortable vision for long periods at arm’s length
- Visual aberration correction to help correct optical aberrations such as warping and color fringing that occur with optical imaging
- Resolution approaching or exceeding 20/20 or 6/6 human vision
- High dynamic range (HDR) imaging technology that expands the range of colour, brightness and contrast in VR
Apart from that, DSR is developing prototypes exploring the forms of the headsets and how to reduce the size, weight and power of existing VR headsets as much as possible to make room for the above elements.
Half Dome Series
DSR developed Half Dome Zero in 2017 in compact form factors. While the field of view increased to 140 degrees in its successor Half Dome 1, in Half Dome 2, the optics of the hood were reduced and its weight was reduced by 200 grams. With Half Dome 3, they introduced electronic varifocal technology that further reduces the size and weight of the helmet by replacing all the moving mechanical parts of the helmet with liquid crystal lenses.
Visual Distortion Simulator
In VR, as the eye moves, everything in the environment moves and reality is greatly reduced. To overcome this problem, DSR developed a VR visual distortion simulator that combines 3D TV technology with lens emulation software. This system is a general-purpose tool used during DSR’s design phase of lenses before manufacturing them.
butterscotch
Butterscotch was designed to bring Retina resolution to VR as well. Electronic devices such as TVs and smartphones have passed the 60 pixels per degree (ppd) benchmark, but VR has lagged behind them. This is because the field of view spreads the pixels over a wider area and the resolution drops.
starburst
Starburst was produced by DSR and we can call it a prototype HDR VR headset. HDR is the most important technology associated with the increase of realism and sense of depth in the VR environment. The maximum nits count (HDR unit of measure) in VR was measured in Quest 2 and at 100 nits. However, it should be noted that the prototype in question produces 20 thousand nits of brightness. This makes it one of the brightest HDR displays and few 3D displays ever produced.
Holocake 2
Holocake 2 is the lightest and thinnest VR headset Meta has ever produced. The product was inspired by the original holographic optics prototype. In addition, it is a fully functional headset that can run all PC VR applications so far.
Mirror Lake
Mirror Lake, which has a varifocal and ski goggle-like form integrating all visual technologies developed by DSR in the last seven years, is a new generation imaging system. Of course, as we mentioned above, one of the main goals of the company is to pass the Visual Turing Test. Here, we can say that Mirror Lake stands out among potential designs.
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