Author Topic: CastAR launched on kickstarter  (Read 36064 times)

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Online PA0PBZTopic starter

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CastAR launched on kickstarter
« on: October 14, 2013, 01:12:55 pm »
Jeri Ellsworth and Rick Johnson just launched their castAR project on kickstarter:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/technicalillusions/castar-the-most-versatile-ar-and-vr-system
http://technicalillusions.com/

I think it looks very nice.
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Offline mikeselectricstuff

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #1 on: October 14, 2013, 01:32:15 pm »
Nice vid on Jeri''s channel as well
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Offline w2aew

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #2 on: October 14, 2013, 02:42:34 pm »
Yes, very cool.  Backed it!
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Offline toddisbn

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #3 on: October 14, 2013, 03:05:52 pm »
Backed.... been waiting a while for this one. Get the word out there folks, Good luck Jeri and Rick.
 

Offline 8163jb

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #4 on: October 14, 2013, 07:54:06 pm »
Nice, wrote a quick blog post about it and backed it :D http://doayee.co.uk/castar-kickstarter/
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Offline Hypernova

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #5 on: October 15, 2013, 01:30:48 am »
Ahhh they caught the shot-of-speaker-staring-at-something-out-there disease.
 

Offline UnaClocker

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #6 on: October 15, 2013, 01:48:23 am »
 got a private demo of this thing before it had even been announced to the world. It's absolutely epic. If you like the video, you're going to be blown away by how much better it is in real life. If you're not so sure, you're going to be blown away by it in real life. If you don't think it's all that great, wait till all your friend's have it, and see it in real life. ;) All the people ranting about how awesome it is in the video, that was my and my friend's exact reaction to it as well. You can't use the thing without feeling like you've just leapt 20 years into the future.
It's like 1996 all over again, when the world went from Windows CE, to the iPhone (or a few years later, the Android, if you swing that way).
 

Offline Psi

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #7 on: October 15, 2013, 02:04:21 am »
hehe, halfway there in 1 day

US$80 intl shipping seems a bit high compared to other kickstarters?
« Last Edit: October 15, 2013, 02:10:48 am by Psi »
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Offline UnaClocker

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #8 on: October 15, 2013, 02:38:06 am »
It costs A LOT to ship things out of the US if it's not as small and light as first class mail will allow. I don't think they're far off the mark for a trackable package shipped internationally. I think the last package I sent to Canada cost me $60, and it was in a flat rate box!
 

Offline Kryoclasm

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #9 on: October 15, 2013, 02:55:23 am »
I hope Steam feels like cr@p when this concept/product changes the world!  :box:

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« Last Edit: October 15, 2013, 02:57:54 am by Kryoclasm »
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Offline Psi

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #10 on: October 15, 2013, 04:15:20 am »
I hope Steam feels like cr@p when this concept/product changes the world!  :box:

Gabe gave them the entire valve owned project for free after firing them.
So while i agree valve was stupid to let her go i think they were at least honorable.

We don't know the internal reason behind valve killing the project but i suspect it was not the sort of thing they wanted to get into. Hardware development is also quite expensive compared to software development, especially when it requires custom optics.
« Last Edit: October 15, 2013, 04:18:49 am by Psi »
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Offline mikeselectricstuff

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #11 on: October 15, 2013, 07:22:48 am »
hehe, halfway there in 1 day

US$80 intl shipping seems a bit high compared to other kickstarters?
Apparently the surface is fairly large and heavy
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Offline pinkysbrein

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #12 on: October 15, 2013, 10:27:11 am »
These really need a laser light source (could still use lcos) so it has an always in focus projection ... without that you'll need the surface either perpendicular or relatively far away or the focus gets screwed.
 

Offline nuhamind2

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #13 on: October 15, 2013, 10:38:35 am »
These really need a laser light source (could still use lcos) so it has an always in focus projection ... without that you'll need the surface either perpendicular or relatively far away or the focus gets screwed.
Aren't the information obtained from IR tracking can be used to adjust the focus so it'll always in focus  :-//
 

Offline Legit-Design

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #14 on: October 15, 2013, 12:19:20 pm »
Is it just me or don't they yet know what resolution the projectors will have? I know resolution is probably irrelevant (after certain point) for the intended use.
Jeri hinted about the new pico projectors being probably "HD", so I guess atleast 720P. However these would be really nice VR glasses, or when travelling light just a really big display with the clip on.  This could be the first affordable good quality head mounted display, even if it's just the extra.

As far as I know only sony (HMZ-T1, HMZ-T2, HMZ-T3) has previously made head mounted display which actually has good resolution and works as intended. Everything else has been more or less crap or just really really expensive.
 

Offline mikeselectricstuff

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #15 on: October 15, 2013, 12:45:51 pm »
These really need a laser light source (could still use lcos) so it has an always in focus projection ... without that you'll need the surface either perpendicular or relatively far away or the focus gets screwed.
Aren't the information obtained from IR tracking can be used to adjust the focus so it'll always in focus  :-//
Not if different parts are at different distances. Even with laser projection, you'd have the issue of correcting for geometry.
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Offline mikeselectricstuff

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #16 on: October 15, 2013, 12:49:05 pm »
Is it just me or don't they yet know what resolution the projectors will have? I know resolution is probably irrelevant (after certain point) for the intended use.
I think this is the case - once they are funded they will be in a better position to talk to manufacturers & pick the best device for price/performance, and have access to new devices that are upcoming soon.
I would think framerate is probably more important than resolution,a nd there will be some limits on overall bandwidth -  the whole 3D thing should be impressive enough without needing to go for the highest resolution.     
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Offline ElectroIrradiator

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #17 on: October 15, 2013, 02:00:03 pm »
This should be interesting to follow.

AFAIK the main sticky point with various 3D glasses and associated technologies when it comes to the 'immersion' experience, is frame latency and not actual frame rate nor resolution. If you want a fluid experience, then the delay between your physical input and the resulting change to the visual field needs to feel instantaneous. Otherwise you get the typical 'stuttering' motion from the users test subjects, as their physical and visual input are out of sync, completely confusing their senses.

John Carmack of ID software fame recently did a lot of optimization to the Oculus Rift 3D glasses. He simply tuned and lubricated the software rendering pipeline to shave the absolute maximum time delay off the frame latency. Supposedly this made the whole experience amazingly better, despite running on the same limited resolution hardware.

Hope these two people are up for the task ahead of them. :)
 

Offline Hamster

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #18 on: October 15, 2013, 02:10:01 pm »
Have you ever used the Oculus Rift 3D Glasses? I did.. talk about heavy, hot, and not very good on the eyes :( ... i was not impressed, i had a hard time keeping my balance too afterwards, and my eyes were watering from the heat.
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Online Marco

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #19 on: October 15, 2013, 02:51:59 pm »
Not if different parts are at different distances.
Not at all really, you can't adjust the focal plane of the projection by image processing ... even an AF lens wouldn't help because it can't help the fact that the focal plane is tilted. As I said, the only way it can work without always in focus laser projection is by putting the reflector surface far enough away that focusing (aka accommodation) is irrelevant or by putting the reflector surface perpendicular to the view direction (which creates a non tilted focal plane so you can see everything in focus, there's always going to be vergence/accommodation mismatch but that's a lesser problem).
Quote
Even with laser projection, you'd have the issue of correcting for geometry.
That they've already solved.

PS. made the previous post as pinky on my phone, registered a separate account on it because I couldn't remember my password nor my email server ... not trying to game the competition :)
« Last Edit: October 15, 2013, 02:59:04 pm by Marco »
 

Offline mikeselectricstuff

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #20 on: October 15, 2013, 10:55:11 pm »
This should be interesting to follow.

AFAIK the main sticky point with various 3D glasses and associated technologies when it comes to the 'immersion' experience, is frame latency and not actual frame rate nor resolution. If you want a fluid experience, then the delay between your physical input and the resulting change to the visual field needs to feel instantaneous. Otherwise you get the typical 'stuttering' motion from the users test subjects, as their physical and visual input are out of sync, completely confusing their senses.

John Carmack of ID software fame recently did a lot of optimization to the Oculus Rift 3D glasses. He simply tuned and lubricated the software rendering pipeline to shave the absolute maximum time delay off the frame latency. Supposedly this made the whole experience amazingly better, despite running on the same limited resolution hardware.

Hope these two people are up for the task ahead of them. :)
I believe everything already runs at 120fps, with tracking in hardware for minimum latency.   
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Offline iceisfun

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #21 on: October 15, 2013, 11:29:34 pm »
I have a lot more faith in any project Jeri is working on than most other kickstarter projects.

We'll end up with a lot more than 2 slices of bread when this is done :)
 

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Offline Dago

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #23 on: October 16, 2013, 07:39:25 am »
Looks like a neat project, I'd be way more excited about it if I'd do any gaming! Maybe someone needs to make Altium compatible version where you could route PCBs by waving the wand... :D
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Offline Legit-Design

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Re: CastAR launched on kickstarter
« Reply #24 on: October 16, 2013, 10:52:41 am »

Those who aren't familiar with tested.com you must checkout their channel if you like Jamie and Adam from MB.
 


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