This New Virtual Reality Headset Tracks Your Eye Movements FOVE has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund production and manufacturing of its headset.
By Catherine Clifford •
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If the eyes are windows to your soul, then this virtual reality headset is one step closer to bringing your soul into the virtual world.
The FOVE virtual reality headset reads your eye movements in real time, allowing users to focus on specific objects in the virtual world just by looking at them. Users can communicate complicated and nuanced emotions with their eyes into the virtual world.
Founded by former game producer at Sony Computer Entertainment Japan, Yuka Kojima, and facial recognition technology expert, Lochlainn Wilson, FOVE is a San Francisco-based startup that was born in an academic research lab at the University of Tokyo in Japan.
FOVE launched a Kickstarter campaign yesterday, and with another 44 days left, it has raised more than $190,000 of its $250,000 goal. Those who purchase through the crowdfunding campaign can get FOVE for $349, a discount to the $500 retail price. Headsets are projected to ship a year from now, in May 2016.
Related: Does Virtual Reality Make You Feel Queasy? This Big, Fake Nose Might Help.
Tracking eye movements represents a significant milestone in the progress of making virtual reality headsets feel real. The developments have pretty revolutionary implications for the gaming world. For example, the retinal tracking technology makes it possible to target, aim and shoot in a video game.
But there are also real-world implications of the retinal tracking technology. For example, people who have impaired motor skills can use the FOVE headset to communicate and perform some variety of actions that would otherwise be off limits. See for yourself in the video below.
Related: Hate Flying? This Dreamy (or Dorky) Virtual Reality Helmet Could Help You Escape the Experience.
