Category: LG

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LG’s Upcoming SteamVR Headset Could Be Named ‘UltraGear’

Earlier this year, Valve confirmed that LG was developing a VR headset utilizing SteamVR Tracking, making it one of the first headsets to do so outside of HTC Vive and the upcoming Pimax “8K” VR headset. While still unnamed when we first demoed the headset at GDC in March, a recent trademark filing with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) now suggests the headset will be dubbed ‘UltraGear’.

First reported by Dutch publication LetsGoDigital, LG filed the trademark application with EUIPO on October 17th, stating that the UltraGear name categorizes a product relating to “Head-mounted holographic displays; Virtual Reality headsets.”

image courtesy LetsGoDigital

LetsGoDigital maintains the UltraGear name specifically applies to LG’s SteamVR headset, although there’s nothing beyond the trademark filing that would suggest a definite answer to the affirmative. While it’s possible LG has created an entirely new headset intended for the UltraGear naming scheme, for example working in the Windows ‘Mixed Reality’ hardware ecosystem, LG has only shown its SteamVR-compatible headset, making it more plausible that it’s moving out of full production and heading into its marketing phase.

The South Korean multinational has made minor headway in the VR market thus far, starting with its ill-received ‘LG 360 VR’ headset which specifically connects to the LG G5 smartphone via a dedicated cable, an unusual departure from the standard convention of using the phone’s display to drive the VR experience. LG’s V30 smartphone shows more promise as one of the few ‘Daydream ready’ flagship smartphones, although a ‘tethered’ PC VR headset would put it squarely in the thick of what appears to be the first major steps by popular OEMs to seriously enter the VR headset market.

If specs remain largely unchanged from what we saw at GDC, LG’s SteamVR headset stands to have a higher resolution and improved ergonomics over HTC Vive. LG’s prototype showed off a flip-up design and PSVR-style halo head strap. Its entrance into the SteamVR tracking ecosystem will also make the Vive’s main selling point, famously robust room-scale tracking, less unique.

LG VR Headset Specs:

  • Resolution: 1440×1280 per eye
  • Display Type: OLED, single panel
  • PPI: 540
  • Field of View: 110 degrees
  • Refresh Rate: 90Hz
  • Lens Type: Convex, non-Fresnel

The post LG’s Upcoming SteamVR Headset Could Be Named ‘UltraGear’ appeared first on Road to VR.

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Further Information About LG VR Headset Revealed

Earlier this year, many people were taken by surprise by the announcement that electronics company LG were working with Valve on a new virtual reality (VR) headset. There has been much speculation ad rumour since, but more details on the device has finally emerged.

The new device has been named by a Trademark application with the EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office) as the LG UltraGear VR, as spotted by Lets Go Digital. Further, it seems the device with be a high-end tethered PC VR device, quite similar to the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift.

Most of the VR technology in use by the HTC Vive was created by Valve, but Valve are a software developer and publisher, so it was only natural that they partner with a company more familiar with the business of hardware, hence the creation of the HTC Vive. It seems the LG UltraGear VR will also be using that technology, utilising the Lighthouse tracking stations and controllers that bear a strong resemblance to the ones bundles with the HTC Vive.

The prototype version of the device seen at the Games Developer Conference featured two 3,64” OLED displays with a resolution of 1440×1280 pixels and a refresh rate of 90Hz, meaning the LG device sports a higher quality display than the one currently in the HTC Vive. Though nothing was installed in them, the prototype also featured pass-through holes that could be used for cameras for possible mixed reality applications, or perhaps even inside-out tracking.

There is yet no confirmation on a price point or release date, though some experts are predicting a release window of early 2018.

VRFocus will bring you further news on the LG UltraGear VR as it becomes available.

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US Customers Will get a Free Google Daydream When Purchasing an LG V30

Looking for a new smartphone that’s going to be suitable for virtual reality (VR). Well if you’re in the US then LG will be launching its flagship device, the V30, in the next couple of weeks and to sweeten the deal it’ll be running a national promotion where you’ll be able to secure a free Google Daydream headset as well.

Daydream support was only rumoured until LG officially unveiled the smartphone last month. Available in two models, the V30 (64GB) and V30+ (128GB), it’ll feature a 6-inch QHD+ FullVision OLED display and Hi-Fi Quad Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, the V30 weights in at 158g, has an IP68 water and dust resistance rating, an f/1.6 on its 16MP c lens with an additional a 13Mp wide-angle camera and it’ll be available in Aurora Black, Cloud Silver, Moroccan Blue and Lavender Violet depending on the carrier.

LG V30 group

As for the VR side of things, not only will the promotion gift owners a new headset, they’ll also receive a ‘Top VR Content Bundle’ states LG’s press release, which is worth $40 USD. It’ll include five videogames for owners to dive right into VR, although the company hasn’t yet confirmed which titles the bundle may include.

The V30 will be available for pre-order/purchase at AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular, and Verizon. At present AT&T will offer the V30 in-store from 6th October, for $810, while T-Mobile’s pre-orders begin on 5th October with in-store/online sales starting 30th October for $800.

Not interested in the LG V30, well there are plenty of other Daydream compatible smartphones to chose from. For the latest updates on Google Daydream, keep reading VRFocus.

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LG Patents VR Display For ‘Alleviating Screen-Door Effect’

LG Patents VR Display For ‘Alleviating Screen-Door Effect’

Current displays for VR headsets allow us to peer into virtual worlds with ease, but there’s plenty of room for improvement. According to a recently discovered patent, LG is taking aim at one of those areas; the dreaded screen-door effect.

The patent, which was published last week, details a display that is “capable of alleviating a screen-door effect,” thus improving image quality inside VR.

Screen-door effect relates to being able to see the gaps between pixels in a VR headset’s display, which is magnified by the pair of lenses you peer through. Higher-resolution displays with increased pixel density can improve upon this issue; a 4K image will be much clearer than, say what’s on offer with the 1080p display inside PlayStation VR, though even then there’s still a long way to go before images reach a retinal resolution.

It doesn’t sound like LG’s new display targets resolution, though. Instead, the patent describes a “light diffusion member” that is placed between the display panel and the lenses. In the patent’s words, this “diffuses light emitted from a light-transmitting area of a display panel to a light-blocking area of the display panel” and “improves the image quality of the display.”

Whatever LG is working on, it’s possible that this design will be implemented into its upcoming SteamVR headset, which recently resurfaced for the first time in six months. We don’t know when the headset is set for release right now, but we’ll be very interested to take another look at it if it really is able to cut down on screen-door effect.

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LG SteamVR Headsets Resurfaces At Korean VR Festival

LG SteamVR Headsets Resurfaces At Korean VR Festival

We were beginning to wonder if we would see LG’s SteamVR headset again this year, but it’s just been spotted at a VR festival in Korea.

The official Silicon Valley Virtual Reality Twitter account just posted a fresh image of the headset and its controllers as shown at the Korean VR Festival. Take a look below.

That should put any speculation that the device had been quietly cancelled to rest.

Overall it doesn’t seem like the kit has yet undergone any major revisions since it debuted at the 2017 Game Developers Conference in March, at least on a surface level. The black headset still sports the flip-up design that allows you to quickly remove the visor from your eyes, and the controllers still look like a more rigid take on the HTC Vive’s circular wands. The SVVR account described the experience as ‘fantastic’, though, and we were pretty impressed when we tried it on too.

However, it is possible that the internal specs for the kit have been upgraded since we last saw it. When we went hands-on with the headset it boasted the below features.

  • Two panels (one for each eye) with a resolution of 1440 by 1280 each
  • OLED display from LG
  • 3.64 inches diagonal
  • 90 Hz refresh rate
  • 110 degree FOV

Development kits for the device were said to have gone out to ‘select partners’ earlier in the year, though we’re likely looking at a 2018 release at this point. The real question is how the upcoming launch of SteamVR 2.0 will affect this kit. Valve is prepping new, more efficient base stations that can support more elaborate setups as well as a new pair of Knuckles controllers with better ergonomic design. Could LG ditch its current controllers and ship with Knuckles devices?

Look for more information on LG’s SteamVR headset in the coming months.

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LG now Supports Daydream With the Flagship V30

There have been plenty of big announcements coming out of the IFA conference in Germany this week with the latest coming from Korean tech giant LG. The company has unveiled its new flagship smartphone, the LG V30, and with it comes support for Google Daydream.

This is the first LG smartphone that’ll support Google’s mobile virtual reality (VR) headset, adding to an ever growing list of devices from companies like ZTE, Samsung, Huawei, Motorola and Google itself.

Featuring a 6-inch QHD+ FullVision OLED display and Hi-Fi Quad Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, the V30 weights in at 158g, has an IP68 water and dust resistance rating, an f/1.6 on its 16MP c lens with an additional a 13Mp wide-angle camera and it’ll be available in Aurora Black, Cloud Silver, Moroccan Blue and Lavender Violet.

LG V30 group

Additional specs include 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and microSD support up to 256GB. While the 3,300mAh battery supports both wired and wireless charging.

The smartphone is expected to release this Fall in markets such as North America, Asia and Europe, with an earlier release taking place in LG home country of South Korea on 21st September. Pricing hasn’t yet been finalised but it’s rumoured to be in the $699 USD/£699 GBP region.

As for the Daydream compatibility, having another flagship phone to entice users onto the VR platform will only help Google as it looks to make up ground on the Gear VR.

As further smartphones come to market supporting Daydream VRFocus will let you know.

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Upcoming LG V30 Smartphone Might Have Google Daydream Support

Since the start of 2017 electronics manufacturer LG have taken an interest in virtual reality (VR). There have been indications that LG are partnering with Valve, perhaps to make a new version of the Vive headset, and new information now indicates that LG’s forthcoming smartphone, the V30 will be including Google Daydream support.

Rumoured specifications and design for the LG’s forthcoming flagship smartphone have been leaked. The leaks suggest that the LG V30 will be using an OLED screen instead of the traditional LCD screen, a design decision that lends credence to the idea of VR support, since OLED is seen as a superior choice for VR applications. The V30 is also said to be powered by a Snapdragon 835 processor, a powerful CPU that would more than capable of supporting Google Daydream applications.

The reports also indicate that the V30 will offer support for the upcoming Android O operating system, which is said to bring native VR support in addition to other new and improved features. Mockup designs of the LG V30 have also shown a rear dual-camera set up, which is a feature that can enhance mixed reality (MR) and augmented reality (AR) applications.

LG will join Google’s own Pixel smartphones in supporting the Google Daydream platform. With Google Daydream support also due to soon arrive on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+, it seems that Google Daydream is beginning to catch up with the popularity of the Samsung Gear VR.

VRFocus will bring you further information on the LG V30 and LG’s other VR projects as it becomes available.

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Augmented Pixels und LG kündigen Inside-Out-Tracking-Modul an

Effizient, schnell und günstig soll das neue Inside-Out-Tracking-Modul sein, das Augmented Pixels in Zusammenarbeit mit dem koreanischen Hersteller LG Electronics entwickelt hat und jetzt offiziell vorstellt. Als Beispiel dient ein Reinigungsroboter von LG. Aber der Sensor soll nicht nur die selbständige Navigation von autonomen Staubsaugern verbessern, sondern könnte auch für preiswerte Dronen, VR, AR und andere Heimroboter interessant sein.

Augmented Pixels und LG entwickeln 3D-Kameramodul

Augmented Pixels mit Sitz in Palo Alto, Kalifornien, hat zusammen mit LG Electronics ein 3D-Kamera-Modul entwickelt, das die Umgebung exakt erfassen und auswerten soll. Die seit 2014 in Entwicklung befindliche Lösung erkennt dabei in einer älteren Ausführung Objekte bis auf ein oder zwei Zentimeter genau und könnte somit beispielsweise preiswerte Dronen zur exakten autonomen Navigation verhelfen. Praktisch kann das vor allem in Innenräumen sein, um Zusammenstöße mit der Wohnungseinrichtung zu verhindern.

Den ersten kommerziellen Einsatz erlebt der Sensor wohl aber nicht in Dronen, sondern in einem Staubsaugerroboter von LG. Die Zusammenarbeit mit dem koreanischen Unternehmen habe eine sehr effiziente Lösungen für Heimroboter und AR-Brillen ermöglicht, erklärt der CEO von Augmented Pixels.

Inside-Out-Tracking erkennt 6DOF

Die Technik zur Erkennung der Umgebung nennt Augmented Pixels SLAM (Simultaneous Location And Mapping). Der Hersteller verspricht, das bisher schnellste SLAM zu ermöglichen. Das Modul kombiniert ein oder zwei Kameras, um die Objekte im Raum zu erkennen. Die Lösung im Staubsaugerroboter hat LG auf dieser Basis entwickelt und will sie auch anderen Herstellern zur Verfügung stellen. Das All-in-One-Modul enthält eine leistungsfähige Recheneinheit, zwei Kameras und einen Infrarot-Sensor.

Der Entwickler Yun Sup Shin von LG Electronics preist die Vorzüge der gemeinsamen Lösung: sie sei sehr effizient, preiswert und flexibel einsetzbar. Beispielsweise kann das Inside-Out-Tracking 6DOF erkennen und erfüllt damit die Anforderungen nicht nur für den Einsatz in Robotern, sondern auch in AR- und VR-Systemen. Ob andere Hersteller auf das Modul anspringen, muss sich aber erst zeigen. Inside-Out-Tracking gilt aber als Hoffnungsträger der VR-Branche, da es die Umsetzung von Room Scale gerade im privaten Bereich wesentlich vereinfacht.

(Quellen: VentureBeat, Augmented Pixels)

Der Beitrag Augmented Pixels und LG kündigen Inside-Out-Tracking-Modul an zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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Valve Knuckles VR Controller Demo

Valve wird vermutlich in naher Zukunft neue Controller für die Virtual Reality Brillen auf den Markt bringen. Zwar erinnert das Design der neuen Controller zunächst leicht an die Touch Controller von Oculus, doch das Besondere an den Controllern ist, dass diese fest an eurer Hand angebracht werden und somit ein natürlicheres Aufnehmen von Objekten ermöglichen.

Valve Knuckles VR Controller Demo

Wie im Video eindrucksvoll gezeigt wird, wirken die Hände mit den neuen Controllern wesentlich lebendiger und auch das Tracking der Finger scheint sehr akkurat und ohne Störungen zu funktionieren. Auffällig ist außerdem, dass die Person im Video stets mit dem Daumen und dem Zeigefinger Objekte greift, was die Vorteile des Designs nicht ausspielt. Vermutlich liegt dies jedoch an der Demo und der noch nicht perfekten Integration. Die im Video gezeigte Demo-Szene können sich Entwickler auf GitHub herunterladen.

Aktuell ist nicht klar, wann die Controller auf den Markt kommen werden und mit welchen VR-Brillen sie verwendet werden können. Da Valve auch neue Lighthouse-Stationen auf den Markt bringen wird, könnte es durchaus sein, dass auch die neuen Controller auf die neuen Lighthouse-Stationen setzen werden. Ob die Controller auch mit dem aktuellen HTC Vive System kompatibel sind, wird sich zeigen.

Der Beitrag Valve Knuckles VR Controller Demo zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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LG Uses Augmented Pixels’ Sensor for Better Robot Navigation and VR Tracking

LG Uses Augmented Pixels’ Sensor for Better Robot Navigation and VR Tracking

Augmented Pixels has created a new way to navigate using computer vision, and LG Electronics is announcing today it has built a 3D camera module that uses that technology to assist autonomous robots.

Palo Alto, California-based Augmented Pixels, a computer vision research and development company, calls the technology SLAM, or simultaneous location and mapping. It is targeting SLAM at robots, drones, AR, and VR.

The module can also be used for inside-out tracking for augmented reality and virtual reality headsets. That means that it figures out the position of the headset using a camera that is on the headset.

“Augmented Pixels currently has the fastest proprietary SLAM for mono and stereo cameras, as well as sensor fusion and technologies for autonomous navigation (obstacle avoidance, point cloud semantics, etc.) on the market,” said Vitaliy Goncharuk, CEO of Augmented Pixels, in a statement. “All our systems are hardware-agnostic, but our clients require a complete solution, that combines computer vision software with hardware. Our partnership with LG Electronics allows us to come up with a very efficient solution for markets of AR Glasses and Home Robotics.”

LG Electronics has designed a compact module consisting of a stereo camera, IR, and processor on board that aims to optimize high performance against low power consumption. It can be customized for different hardware platforms and use cases. Augmented Pixels provides software for autonomous navigation (obstacle avoidance, point cloud semantics, etc.), based on its proprietary SLAM technology.

Yun Sup Shin, principal engineer at LG Electronics, said in a statement, “We are very excited to be working with Augmented Pixels to offer the customers the exact technology they need. The single module that incorporates our camera and SLAM technology is an efficient solution in terms of performance and pricing. It can satisfy requirements of many manufacturers of robots and AR/VR systems, who are looking for effective ways to incorporate enhanced computer vision into their products. Our compact module has a processor, so all algorithms and software running on board provide flexibility to our customers and remove a lot of limitations based on limited calculation power of consumer devices.”

This post by Dean Takahashi originally appeared on VentureBeat.

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