Google Cardboard 3D Virtual Reality Goggles
You may hav
e heard for Oculus Rift 3D/virtual reality headset. But who has $300 to get one? How about $10!?!
Google Cardboard (link) is a quick and easy 3D/virtual reality headset that uses your smart phone. By splitting the image the same way other 3D headsets do, your phone screen becomes the display. Now you just need a way for that display to be a headset. Enter Google Cardboard.
Google Cardboard
Some sell for around $25 but here’s one for $10.
It’s a fairly simple contraption – it comes unassembled, but assembly is just folding some cardboard. I did it in about 2 minutes.
The velcro holds it shut while you’re using it and keeps your phone in place. I used it with an iPhone 6 and it fit well. An iPhone 6+ might be a bit big???
Even though it’s Google related, there are apps for iOS too. The first one I tried was Dive City Rollercoaster. It seemed VERY much like the roller coaster game I used with my Oculus Rift.
Google Cardboard even has a “button” on the left side. There are 2 magnets – one on the inside and one on the outside. The one on the inside is fixed in it’s position. The outside one has a longer slot and can be slid 
down with your finger. It snaps back into place when released.
So apps can use the internal compass to detect when the magnet moves and relay it as a button tap. This is the only real way you can interact with the app once it’s in the headset. It didn’t seem like any apps I used with it took advantage of this “button.”
There’s a good number of Android apps for Google Cardboard.
iOS Google Cardboard Apps
- Dive City Coaster – Roller coaster sim
- The Height – Building demo/game
- Dive Zombie – Zombies shooting
- Moorente – Duck Hunt game
- Stereoscopic Tunnel Effect – virtual tunnel demo/game
