Written by George E. Warren Jr.
Edited by Jacob E. Warren

  What's available?

There are several manufactures of HMDs today. Many are high resolution full immersion HMDs with incredible performance, but at this date all such HMDs are well out of the average PC combat gamers budget.

Interactive Imaging Systems VFX3D

The most promising HMD in development is the is Interactive Imaging Systems VFX3D. The VFX3D has been in the just to be released phase for well over a year and this writer is wondering if the VFX3D will ever be available. Hopefully it will, for it is the only product that even comes close to what would be useful and affordable for the P/C military flight simulation pilot.

"3D Stereoscopic Smart VisorTM

 Field of View: 35° Diagonal
 Dual 360K pixel AMLCD
         High Contrast, Full Color
         Multi-sync capabilities to
         Support the following resolutions:
         640X480 60, 62.5, 60, 75 hz (refresh rate)          1024X768 60, 62.5 hz (refresh rate)
   Stereo Sound with Built-in Volume Control"

    Pitch & Roll Sensitivity:
    +/- 70 degrees ~+/- .05 degrees (12 bit)
    Yaw Sensitivity:
    360 degrees ~+/-.1 degrees (12bit)

Cost? Projected at about $1800 U.S.

n-vision® HMD's

N-vision has the most impressive products available as of this time. N-Visions has developed high resolution 3D immersive display systems for use in the commercial, scientific and defense markets. These are definitely the HMDs that PC combat pilots would trade their 21" monitors in for. But it's going to take more than your 21 inch monitor... like the car, the house, the wife or husband ....

One of n-visions products is the Datavisor LCD. This HMD could become a potential for the PC sim pilot if the resolution were to increase slightly.

• SVGA (640x480)
• Lightweight – Eight Ounces
• 60 degrees field of vision.

Kaiser Electro-Optics, Inc. Head Mounted Displays

KEO concentrates on the industrial and military markets and has a wide selection of HMDs. Several of KEOs past development product are interesting (awesome might be another word). "As part of ARPA's High Definition Systems Initiative, KEO further developed its patented VIM® technology to two dimensional tiling.

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Proview 60

"This provides 6 tiles per eye and achieves 150° horizontal by 50° vertical FOV with 40° of stereo overlap and four-arcminute resolution monochrome or eight-arcminute resolution color. The display sub-system weighs less than two pounds. As part of the program, KEO has designed a true, full-immersion HMD with 15 tiles per eye that provides 180° H x 90° V with 60° stereo overlap and offers less than four-arcminute resolution in the central visual field."

Cost? Don't even think about it!!

Below are some other HMD providers and links to their sites.

Liquid Image; MRG2.2, MRG3c, MRG4 & X3
     i-O Display Systems, i-glasses

General Reality Companys CyberEyes
     OPTICS 1, Inc. HMD's

Can we expect in the near future an HMD that is affordable for the home or mass markets?

Paul Travers of  Interactive Imaging Systems;
    "The HMD market has seen difficult times in the past because the price and technology performance (both in the PC and the HMD) were not up to the customers requirements and expectations.

"We believe that the winds of change are blowing and that the consumer will see significant new product offerings in this area over the next few years.  The PC technology in the areas of software and hardware have accelerated at an incredible pace and the technology required for low cost HMDs is right around the corner.

"The HMD is not really the required device for this market.  To have an effective simulation of any kind a great viewing device is only a piece of the puzzle.  The viewing device must also be interactive.  This allows the user to not only view the cockpit or see into a room, but actually step inside it.  Thus creating an Immersive experience very close to being there.

IIS's products offer all these features.  We call this new product an Interactive Personal Display or IPD.  The bottom line, not just a TV on your face but a completely interactive, stereoscopic HMD with three degree of freedom.  Yaw, Pitch and Roll. The next two years are going to bring wonderful advances in this field both in the areas of performance and cost."

Tony Havelka of Tek Gear

"I believe that there is a large enough market out there for a professional HMD and a consumer HMD right now. Only, the technology is just now becoming available to make it happen.  Lots of investors got burned in other HMD ventures (Virtual I/O, N-Vision, VictorMaxx, etc...) and their memories are good.  It will take a good business plan in order to raise the interest in developing a consumer HMD."

In summary, if the prices are low enough and the performance high enough an incredible mass market for HMD's could be created. And of course this will mean higher performing HMD's and even lower cost, much like 3D video cards have developed. So, when and who will be the first or leading manufacturer in this new potential market? Sony, Interactive Imaging Systems, n-vision, Kaiser Electro-Optics? Or will it be some unheard of start-up company that will catch the present players sleeping? Only time will tell.

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