Virtual reality is becoming popular nowadays, and so is the Cardboard platform. Here are a few things to consider when building VR for cardboard.
It is no secret that this year is shaping up to be the year of Virtual Reality. Virtual Reality handsets and apps are increasingly gaining momentum in the technology world. Tech giants such as Apple, Microsoft, and Google have all invested a great deal of money and time in this emerging concept. The current leader in the Virtual Reality game is Google’s cardboard that boasts of a staggering 25+ million downloads. Easy to use and pocket friendly, Cardboard is the preferred platform on which app developers would like to showcase their apps. While there are several challenges to creating a Virtual Reality app, here are some important points to keep in mind while building these apps for cardboard:
Planning: As is the case with any new venture, planning is of utmost importance. You must first review your requirements, goals and end result. Once this is sorted, take a look at the resources at your disposal and resources and materials required for your project. Virtual Reality being primarily a visual medium, the developer must ensure that there are no technical snags.
Head Tracking: With its 360 degree vantage point, Virtual Reality apps should be super fast in rendering images so that the user does not face any blurs or lags whilst using the app. For a superlative experience, developers should ensure that every direction uses high resolution images that seamlessly translate on the Virtual Reality headset.
Simulator Sickness: An important feature to remember for app developers, simulator sickness is a result of Virtual Reality apps depicting a particular situation in the app whilst the user is in a different environment. This can lead to dizziness and nausea. In order to provide the user with the best possible experience, care should be taken to minimize this effect. Reducing binocular disparity has proven to be successful in many cases.
Acceleration: There is an unsettling sensation of watching yourself accelerate without the physical activity of actually accelerating. In order to create the best experience, try to limit the speed of acceleration and general movement. This will lend a lifelike experience to your app.
Unity: With Google encouraging innovation and development in the field of Virtual Reality, the creation of Unity has been a tremendous help for newbie app developers. Unity is a set of pre existing features that help you create applications and provide assistance in problem solving. It is the brainchild of Google itself and is helpful in creating apps for Cardboard. Moreover, Unity allows you to create apps for both Android and iOS platforms thus making it an indispensable tool in an app developers arsenal.
The speed at which technology is progressing, the concept of Virtual Reality has captured the imagination of an entire generation. However, for this concept to become mainstream, development of cutting edge applications should be encouraged. This can only be done through simplification of the process. Industry leaders such as Google have initiated the process by introducing Cardboard, hopefully others will see the potential and invest in this innovative, possibly life changing concept.
