6 Generations of VR Headsets in Use
CAT PRODUCTION has always strived not only to produce animations of the highest quality but also to offer its clients the latest technologies for presenting animations and 3D models. It is therefore not surprising that CAT PRODUCTION has supported the introduction of marketable Virtual Reality hardware with its own productions from the very beginning. Especially in the initial years of new developments, generational changes occur frequently, which, while leading to regular performance enhancements, presents a significant challenge for support and ongoing development. The 6th generation of VR headsets has now arrived at the company, which have been in use since 2015.
The new era of VR headsets was certainly ushered in by Google in 2014 with its Google Cardboards. Cardboard with two lenses, cleverly folded into a “viewer” for two eyes, and a standard mobile phone is transformed into a VR device. Our first Cardboards came from South by Southwest (SXSW) 2015 in Austin, Texas, where they were freely distributed by Google as “kits.”
In November 2015, the Samsung Gear VR was launched. It was the product of a collaboration between Samsung and Oculus, a company already leading in the field of virtual reality at that time. The Gear VR is a plastic housing into which the then-current Samsung Galaxy models could be clipped. This also marked the starting point for CAT PRODUCTION’s first VR projects: interactive 360-degree tours through the human body. Clients included agencies and the pharmaceutical industry. Due to strict non-disclosure agreements, these developments took place confidentially.
With the HTC Vive, available since April 2016, a second system was deployed in parallel at the company in July 2016. This system is wired and relies primarily on the performance of the corresponding graphics hardware in the necessary workstation. The acquisition of these headsets was necessary for our federally funded research project HIPS (ZIM funding code 16KNO36253), in which an interactive surgical trainer for artificial hip implantation was developed in collaboration with TU Chemnitz, the University of Bremen, and FAKT Software GmbH. What makes it special: Thanks to the haptic feedback for each manipulation with a tool, the virtual operation feels extremely realistic to the surgeon.
It was not until 2019 that a first contract was awarded by the Competence Center for Nutrition (KErn), a division of the Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry, which enabled us to publicly present the technologies already in use for agency and pharmaceutical projects since 2015. This also involved a system change to the Oculus Go, which was launched in May 2018: a wireless, self-contained system configurable via WLAN and USB connection.
One of the successor products to Oculus Go is the Quest series from the same company, available since 2019. It was therefore logical to use the Quest for productions in the pharmaceutical and agency markets starting in 2019. The Quest series is still used today in a development and research project with the Polyclinic for Dental Prosthetics at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. In cooperation with the department, a virtual seminar and learning environment has been created since 2021. Students can meet with their lecturers in virtual worlds where learning content can be conveyed regardless of location. Due to the uncertain policies of Meta, formerly Facebook and now owner of Oculus, Oculus products were no longer acceptable in the professional sector.
The new flagship in this business segment is now the Pico 4 enterprise. This VR headset, also available in Germany since late 2022, impresses not only with its performance but also with an ergonomically designed, lightweight, and comfortable headset. The system is also equipped with an easy-to-clean face cushion, which facilitates sharing among different users. A must-have for these devices since the pandemic! The Pico 4 Enterprise is specifically tailored to the needs of businesses and educational institutions and currently represents the pinnacle of development. Development continues, and we eagerly await what will surprise us next. Since Apple acquired the leading Munich-based Augmented Reality company Metaio in 2015, there have been rumors and repeatedly postponed launch dates for the “Apple Glasses.” This makes Apple currently the last IT giant without its own VR solution on the market. But for how long?
