This VR technology provides for a completely immersive 3-dimensional experience by surrounding users in a cube of digital imagery, combined with stereoscopic glasses and motion-tracking hardware to provide for a dizzying ride through virtual environments.
EON Reality’s ICube system uses an array of high-definition video projectors to bounce real-time CGI images into a cubic room covered with white screen surfaces. Each visitor dons a special pair of lightweight 3D glasses which can be outfitted with IR markers to detect head movements. Users of the system can wind their way through anything from a stunning outdoor vista to the inside of a virtual airplane cabin, to gory innards of a virtual human anatomy lesson.
The ICube’s software even supports gesture-based control, allowing users to manipulate virtual objects in the 3D environment. There’s also an integrated 3D sound system which can by synchronized with the imagery on the cubic screens. Here’s a really cool video of the ICube in action courtesy of the guys over at IDEO Labs, who recently got to take a test-drive of the ICube.
EON offers the Icube in 3-wall, 4-wall, and 6-wall configurations, designed for everything from driving and flying simulations to scientific visualization projects. With prices well into the 6-figures, you probably won’t be installing one of these in your basement any time soon.
