As simplified as it may look, there is actually a science to the Google Cardboard Virtual Reality Viewer. It is precise. Without that precision, it wouldn’t work as well as it does.
True, it looks like a box left over from the most recent United Parcel Service delivery or something that your kid has cut up and re-patched together to create a virtual something-or-other based on some sci-fi movie.
Decades ago, that is probably all it was… a cardboard creation meant to stimulate the imagination of children and adults everywhere, to pretend that they were able to experience what they saw on the silver screen.
That is not the case now. It is cardboard, yes, but it (Google Cardboard) has been designed to incorporate the VR components necessary to have a stimulating virtual reality experience.
There are several aspects of the Google Cardboard VR that come together to create the experience.
The Google Cardboard VR Viewer
First, there is the assembly of the viewer. Even though Google has done the hard work, you still need to do the assembly. You need to assemble your cardboard viewer according to the instructions. Fortunately, even if you do not succeed on your first try, you can try again. This is because the Google Cardboard Viewer is extremely affordable, sometimes going as low as four dollars. You could even have a few in the closet, for visitors or backup viewers.
The design of the viewer, similar to other VR viewers, allows for stereoscopic viewing, in other words, 3D viewing. It will house your smartphone. You can choose the iPhone smartphone or the Android smartphone.
Another component of the experience is the software. There are oodles of apps available, again, whether that is the Android or the Apple iOS. Applications can satisfy the entertainment desires of several different genres. This can happen whether it is a game, an event, an adventure, or afternoon tea. Of course, that is something that comes through your smartphone and not the cardboard.
Google Cardboard has been around since 2016. Even though Google Cardboard is not that old, there is a successor that Google announced, called Daydream. It is a fitting name for a VR endeavor.
Thinking Beyond the Norm
Another possibility for those of you who are technically-minded is to develop your own virtual reality programs so that others may access (purchase) your apps for their iPhone or Android and use it with Google Cardboard. The beauty of tying it in with Google Cardboard is that the development costs do not have to cause you to go broke while you are going through the development process. Whether you spend the four bucks for the Google Cardboard or you attempt to develop your own precision-based design, the cost is still lower than the high dollar VR viewers.
Even Google entertains us with snapshots of different types of virtual reality (VR) viewers, including those that are reminiscent of the Mattel ViewMaster of decades past.
The beauty of Google Cardboard is that you can buy it as a kit. That is what we discussed in this article. Or, you can design one yourself (build your own).
