From news@news.cais.com Wed Mar 1 07:41:24 1995 Return-Path: Received: from mx5.u.washington.edu by stein2.u.washington.edu (5.65+UW95.02/UW-NDC Revision: 2.32 ) id AA03825; Wed, 1 Mar 95 07:41:24 -0800 Received: from hitl-new.hitl.washington.edu by mx5.u.washington.edu (5.65+UW94.10/UW-NDC Revision: 2.31 ) id AA28740; Wed, 1 Mar 95 07:41:23 -0800 Received: by hitl.hitl.washington.edu; id AA15308; Wed, 1 Mar 1995 07:37:14 -0800 Received: from news.cais.com by relay4.UU.NET with SMTP id QQyfes18311; Wed, 1 Mar 1995 10:41:16 -0500 Received: from localhost (news@localhost) by news.cais.com (8.6.5/8.6.5) id KAA22750; Wed, 1 Mar 1995 10:41:15 -0500 To: sci-virtual-worlds@uunet.uu.net Path: news From: Christopher.Lewis@news.cais.com Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds Subject: n-Vision HMD Date: 1 Mar 1995 15:41:15 GMT Organization: n-Vision, Inc. Lines: 66 Distribution: world Message-Id: <3j24ir$m6j@news.cais.com> Nntp-Posting-Host: clewis.cais.com Keywords: HMD X-Newsreader: Status: OR In response to the questions posted recently in this group regarding our Datavisor HMD product, is the text from our most recent spec sheet for the n-Vision Datavisor HMD. The product has been on the market for almost two years and has been demonstrated at most of the major VR exhibitions including the past two SIGGRAPHs. Field of View for the device is adjustable. The user has a fixed FOV of 50 degrees horizontal per eye. The optical housing is mechanically adjustable for overlap settings ranging from 0 to 100 percent. Thus, at 50 percent overlap, the user would have a total FOV of 75 degrees. In practice, when settings less than 100 percent are used, the total FOV is wider than anything on the market except devices using 3-4 inch image sources and LEEP style direct view optical systems. Christopher Lewis < clewis@cais.com > n-Vision, Inc. tel: (703) 506 8808 7915 Jones Branch Drive fax: (703) 903 0455 McLean, VA 22102 USA << Text of Spec sheet follows >> The Datavisor from n-Vision is a full color, high resolution, wide field-of-view, head mounted display (HMD). Employing advanced optical, electronic, and display components, it is designed to exploit the capabilities of today s high performance graphics workstations and simulation hardware to the fullest extent possible with current technology. The HMD combines miniature full color image sources and precision optical relay assemblies in a lightweight plastic housing to form a fully integrated, head-mounted, stereo display unit. At the heart of the system are a pair of miniature CRT displays fitted with Tektronix NuColor liquid crystal shutter devices. The shutters are electronically switchable light filters that allow only one color of light to pass at any instant. Synchronizing the shutter with the miniature CRT, red, green, and blue components of each full color video frame are displayed in rapid sequence to produce a full color images inside the HMD. They are balanced at ear level on each side of the head and are mu-metal shielded to eliminate electronic interference. The optical system uses precision lenses in a wide angle collumating (WAC) design to relay the video image from the image source units to the eyes. The output of each assembly is an infinity focused exit pupil 12mm in diameter with a field of view of 50 degrees, resolution of 2 arc minutes per pixel, and brightness of up to 8 foot-Lamberts. Overlap adjustment from 0 to 100 percent allows the user to control the size of the region where 3D perception occurs. In environments where only a single channel of video information is availiable, the 100 percent position unit may also be used to configure the unit as a monoscopic display. The plastic housing is adjustable to comfortably fit a range of users and weighs just 3.5 lbs. Knobs on the sides of the helmet allow for easy adjustment of Inter Pupillary Distance (IPD) and overlap position. The Video Control Unit (VCU) relays two channels of video information to the color image sources in the HMD through 10' high mobility cables. Maximum signal bandwidth is 100Mhz. The unit is digitally programmable through the standard RS-232 interface allowing display parameters, video format select, and diagnostic functions to be controlled by the person wearing the display via the user application. The VCU is availiable as a 13" x 12" x 5.25" tabletop unit or in a 19 inch rack mounted configuration. Optional equipment includes position sensors, headphones, a microphone, and a pnumatic bladder fitting system for operating environments where shocks and rapid motion are encountered. Mounting points for these devices are molded into the housing. SPECIFICATIONS Monocular Field of View: 50 deg. Pupil Diameter: 12mm Pupil Brightness: 8 fL Pupil Resolution: 2 arc minutes IPD Adjustment 58-78mm Eye Relief 30mm Overlap Positions 25%-100% Weight 3.8lbs Video Formats 1280 x 960, 30Hz, 800 x 600, 55Hz, 640 x 480, 60Hz Anode Voltage 12kV Contrast Ratio 100:1 Power Dissipation 60 Watts