With the constant hype surrounding the idea of virtual reality, it was only inevitable before a company thought up the idea of creating a virtual reality webcam. Now, Slovenia-based VRFavs went ahead and did just that, recently unveiling its Kickstarter campaign for the WebEye VR.
The WebEye VR is a small, compact webcam that would look like any other webcam were it not for its two lenses. It uses these two lenses to produce a stereoscopic, 160° image that another person can receive through a VR headset, like the upcoming Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. The WebEye VR is capable of producing full HD quality video at 30 frames per second to ensure that the other person’s immersion isn’t compromised.
A consumer version of the WebEye VR goes for $320 while a developer kit is slightly cheaper at $250, but is a little more rough around the edge while still giving the opportunity to develop applications for the device. The former is slated to ship in December 2016 while the latter in April 2016 should the Kickstarter campaign raise $40,000 by April 1st, 2016.
The WebEye VR is certainly an interesting take on a burgeoning field but one that, for right now, will struggle to see adoption as most VR headsets are ludicrously priced. Time will surely help, though, especially when that time will help improve the WebEye VR’s functionality.