A Tokyo-based startup named Fove enters the virtual reality (VR) fray with a headset the company claims ditches the need for handheld controllers through the use of eye-tracking technology.
The headset, also dubbed Fove, promises superior interaction with virtual worlds, since the human eye is actually fast, accurate and very responsive. Said tracking is done through the combination of a pair of infrared cameras and an appropriate algorithm.
The result according to the company is games interacting with the one's gaze, such as virtual characters meeting the player in the eye or simply aiming and shooting through the power of a stare. In addition the system handles "foveated rendering," a process allowing graphics engines to concentrate processing power on the image the player is looking at.
Hardware details are limited, but Fove promises a 100-degree field of view on a "high resolution" 5.8-inch display. Fove says the headset can also find enterprise applications in the financial, educational and medical sectors.
As is typical for such devices the Fove is currently looking for preorders/funding on Kickstarter, where the makers are hoping to achieve a 250000 pledge goal. Should the campaign be successful the headset ships from May 2016.
Go Fove
