15 votes

Raspberry Pi 4 CRT-based VR Headset

6 comments

  1. spctrvl
    Link
    Pretty neat video I saw earlier about building a VR headset using the CRT powered viewfinders off of some old camcorders. The resulting headset actually looks surprisingly nice, and it makes you...

    Pretty neat video I saw earlier about building a VR headset using the CRT powered viewfinders off of some old camcorders. The resulting headset actually looks surprisingly nice, and it makes you think about how far the miniaturization of CRTs may have come had they not been superseded by other display technologies so early into the era of portable electronics.

    6 votes
  2. [5]
    JakeTheDog
    Link
    Does anyone know how safe this would be? Regarding stray electrons being shot into your eyeballs.

    Does anyone know how safe this would be? Regarding stray electrons being shot into your eyeballs.

    4 votes
    1. [4]
      spctrvl
      Link Parent
      I would think it'd be perfectly safe- the CRTs he's using were intended to be used at that distance, and presumably for decent lengths of time, as viewfinders in old camcorders.

      I would think it'd be perfectly safe- the CRTs he's using were intended to be used at that distance, and presumably for decent lengths of time, as viewfinders in old camcorders.

      10 votes
      1. [3]
        JakeTheDog
        Link Parent
        Hmm, that doesn't sound reassuring. That's like saying older cars without seatbelts are still fine to drive.

        Hmm, that doesn't sound reassuring. That's like saying older cars without seatbelts are still fine to drive.

        1. [2]
          spctrvl
          (edited )
          Link Parent
          I don't think that's a good analogy. People died in car crashes all the time before they were made safer. CRT viewfinders were used for decades without incident, it's not like there was some...

          I don't think that's a good analogy. People died in car crashes all the time before they were made safer. CRT viewfinders were used for decades without incident, it's not like there was some scourge of 'reporters' eye' or something. And this was well into the time of consumer advocacy and safety consciousness. If there was a risk to using these that was faced disproportionately by news staff, I can't help but think we'd have heard of it.

          3 votes
          1. JakeTheDog
            Link Parent
            Well, instead of speculating or assuming the best (via absence of evidence) I found this FDA regulation. That being said, having the display on inch or two from your eyeballs for extended periods...

            Well, instead of speculating or assuming the best (via absence of evidence) I found this FDA regulation.

            That being said, having the display on inch or two from your eyeballs for extended periods of time repeatedly is a different scenario.