Virtual Reality is no longer niche. From education to healthcare, VR applications are evolving fast. However, with six out of every 10 people wearing glasses or contact lenses, many viewers are finding VR more headache-inducing than eye-opening. Enter optometrist James Kim.
With over 10 years of industry experience, Kim knows a thing or two about sight. He also has a vision for accessible VR that’s setting the Kickstarter community alight.
As founder and CEO of Noonbit Inc, Kim is the mastermind behind Nunulo VR. Nunulo means ‘through the eyes’ in Korean. It’s a name well-suited to the first VR device that lets users adjust the lenses to suit their vision and, in a field where the long, short and otherwise sighted have been largely ignored, it’s proving a popular concept. So popular in fact that within 14 hours of launching on Kickstarter in July, Nunulo VR smashed its funding goal of $15,000 and support shows no sign of slowing.
What’s the secret we asked? Distinctive design.
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“Other VR devices focus on software and display, while Nunulo’s solution caters to the human eye,” Kim says. “Television screens have numerous options available to customise the view, such as contrast and brightness. The personal VR device should also be able to adjust to each individual’s unique eye condition.”
Kim explains that the way we see depends on a number of factors, including age, gender, race and existing optical conditions. Because VR is viewed at such close range, it uses high powered convex lenses for zoom. Popular headsets like the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive currently use lenses with a balanced and uniform thickness right the way around, but Nunulo flips this on its head with its ‘imbalanced convex lens’.
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Source: Redbull