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Stereolabs Linq MR headset prototype

While nosotros have barely gotten to the phase of shipping virtual reality headsets, the industry is already trying to movement past them to what is beingness called mixed reality. Mixed reality solutions combine the capability to present augmented reality (AR, or calculator-generated objects overlaid on the native field of vision) with VR. The near well-known of those efforts, Magic Leap, HoloLens, and Meta, all aim to do this past using a transparent headset with projectors of some type. They have struggled with overcoming narrow field of view, and emulating full virtual reality. In contrast, veteran stereo camera maker Stereolabs has revealed that it is working on a headset information technology calls Linq, that tackles the problem the other way around.

Linq gets to mixed reality from the VR side

Instead of transparent headset with objects projected onto information technology, Linq will use the more than-common VR arroyo of a display inside the headset. But Linq adds stereo cameras that provide a correlated view of the outside earth, so virtual objects can be seamlessly integrated with the user'south view of their environs. Linq isn't the commencement product trying to accomplish this. We reported earlier this twelvemonth about AMD-partner Sulon Q, which is working on a like product. But nosotros haven't heard much about the attempt since.

Stereolabs has provided a demo video for Linq that is reminiscent of Magic Leap'due south first demo video, although this one was shot entirely through an bodily prototype, and the technical elements that go into Linq are all well understood:

Linq is different considering Stereolabs tin practise room-scale without beacons

In addition to its unusual approach to mixed reality, Linq has an ace up its sleeve. Stereolabs' experience with depth-mapping using its popular Zed camera allows it to implement accurate room-scale VR experiences without external beacons. When I first heard about it, information technology seemed to good to be true. But I was able to become hands-on in the company'southward offices, and amazed by how I could easily motility effectually a large space while playing room-scale VR games. Considering it uses regular cameras instead of some type of structured-light solution, this approach can piece of work both indoors and out.

Stereolabs expects to have developer units ready in early 2022, with full general availability later in the yr. Initial versions will be tethered to a VR-capable PC, but I too received a demo of a portable GPU solution for Zed'due south room-scale VR, and the company hopes it can deploy something similar with Linq over time.