Last September, at IFA, Sasha Muller experienced Sony’s HMZ-T1 Personal 3D Viewer and was suitably impressed. Now, at CeBIT, optics giant Carl Zeiss has got in on the action with its slightly sinister-looking Cinemizer OLED headset display.
As the name suggests, Zeiss’ 3D goggle display uses OLED technology to produce an image that’s startlingly bright and vibrant – though, it must be said, not as immersive as Sony’s, owing to a conservative frame size that simulates a 40in display at two meters. Resolution isn’t stellar either: at 870 x 500 per eye, there’s enough detail to enjoy movies and the like, but the image has a definite pixelated quality. On the plus side, the 3D effect is rock solid – as it should be, since each eye gets its own dedicated screen.
What really sets Zeiss’ hardware apart is the addition of a motion-tracking module built into the glasses. This won’t do anything for regular 3D movies, but when you use the Cinemizer goggles to play a compatible 3D game or use suitable visualisation software, you’ll be able to “look around” – i.e. pan the virtual camera – simply by turning your head.
The demonstration, in partnership with software from Inreal Technologies, allowed visitors to explore a variety of domestic and fantasy scenes. The graphics seemed to lag very slightly behind the wearer’s physical movements; but it’s still a fantastic step forward for virtual reality.
Zeiss has also teamed up with German flying-machine specialists Globe Flight to attach a pivoted camera to a remote controlled helicopter, which relays images to the Cinemizer in real time. It’s an easy and fascinating way to look down on the world – though, sadly, the demonstration helicopter was firmly tethered to Zeiss’ CeBIT stand, meaning visitors were able to explore only the tops of their own heads.
The Cinemizer OLED is expected to launch in the summer at €649. This price doesn’t include the motion tracking modules, which will be priced separately; but for a standard 3D headset it’s distinctly less than the £800-odd Sony’s 3D goggles are expected to cost should they ever make it to the UK.
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