As one of the first steps in developing the concept for their Virtual Reality headset, the team at Exchimp considered the products currently on the market. On the one hand, it was possible to purchase expensive, high performance, tethered headsets such as those offered by Oculus, Sony and HTC. On the other hand, there were a variety of low cost headsets based on using a smartphone and that produced a somewhat less impressive VR experience. In response to these market conditions, the Exchimp AI1 VR headset was created to bridge the gap between the two extremes in price, mobility and image quality.
Exchimp AI1 is an All-in-One VR headset. That is, the Exchimp AI1 is designed as a stand-alone system and connection to a PC/gaming console is not an option. Rather, the company’s All-in-One VR system comes with pre-installed content such as games and videos develop by Fibrum Ltd. (Moscow, Russian Federation). In addition, it is possible to download any VR game or app from the Google Play Store via the built-in W802.11ac Wi-Fi controller.
With the internal memory of 32 GB, there is capacity for a great deal of VR content. If more is needed, additional capacity can be obtained by inclusion of a Micro SD card.
One common disadvantage of a conventional All-in-One VR headset is that all of the components in the system are worn on the user’s head. This includes the display, sensors, the processor and the battery. The result is a headset that can be both bulky and heavy. To address this issue, the Exchimp team decided to take the heavy parts out of the headset and put them in a separate control that is held in the user’s hand. As a result, the Exchimp headset itself weighs only 389 grams. The battery has a capacity to run the headset for about seven hours. (only! I’m not sure I’d want to wear that for seven hours! Man. Ed.)
The Exchimp sits between smartphone-based and fully integrated headsets
A second advantage of having the processor and battery in the controller, is that the headset develops little heat compared to headsets based on head mounted smartphones.
The Exchimp AI1 headset includes an Intel Atom x5 processor. The headset’s 5.5” TFT LCD has a 100º field of view and a resolution of 2560 x 1440. The system operates at a 60 Hz frame rate and produces what the company claims is a smooth VR experience. The Exchimp headset uses the Nibiru (Nanjing, China) Android-based VR operating system.
Other features noted for the Exchimp headset include the following:
- Users can wear glasses in conjunction with the headset without difficulty. The company adds the caveat that the level of comfort depends on the size of the glasses.
- Headphones can be connected to the Exchimp headset via Bluetooth.
- Any gaming controller can be connected to the Exchimp headset via Bluetooth.
A prototype of the Exchimp AI1 was shown at CES in Las Vegas in January 2017. A video illustrating the features and operation of the Exchimp AI1 All-in-One VR Headset can be found in a video at the end of this article.
Funding for the development and commercialization of the Exchimp AI1 All-in-One VR Headset is currently underway by way of a Kickstarter campaign. Details of the campaign can be found here. At the time this article is written, the campaign appears to be very successful. With 31 days to go in the campaign, the project has been oversubscribed with 270 backers pledging $83,521 against a goal of $41,673. –Arthur Berman
Exchimp, Philip Slapar, [email protected]
