Gadgetory

hey everyone i'm taylor martin with android authority and i want to show you how to make your own VR headset a lot Google cardboard I'm guessing it's probably a lot easier than you thought it was and this is how it's done until recently my only brush with virtual reality was a virtual reality world to 3d color golf club game my god as a present as a kid I remember it working properly from no more than two or three times and dying indefinitely when Google announced the cardboard VR headset at i/o 2014 I didn't bat an eyelash I think most of us were surprised and didn't really know what to think but the developments in the VR field as well as the things made possible by an extremely affordable VR headset are impressive to say the least the upshot to Google's own VR headset is that it's extremely affordable and made with common household items or items which are easily obtained unlike other headsets Google even provides a printable template and a bill of materials to help you make your own cardboard at home here's what you'll need a piece of cardboard at least 22 inches by 8 point 7 5 inches to 2 inch strips of 3/4 inch wide velcro one three-quarter inch neodymium ring magnet one three-quarter inch ceramic disc magnet to buy convex lenses roughly 45 millimeter focal length and optionally a rubber band and an NFC tag additionally the tools you will need for this project are an x-acto knife a straightedge scotch tape some spray adhesive or contact cement and you may also find some superglue handy begin by downloading the manufacturers kit directly from Google linked below extract the zip file open the scissor cut template and print the three pages use a straightedge to trim away the excess paper from the templates and use tape or glue to connect the three pieces of the main body template together align the corresponding numbers over one another with a light numbers on top in total there will be three templates the body the lens holder and the lens divider next trim away any extra cardboard you may have working with a large box I salvaged from my recent move I really only needed one side of the box once all the excess is cut away lightly coat the cardboard with spray adhesive let it sit for 3 to 5 minutes and press the three separate templates into place here is the so fun part cutting out every little nib with an exacto knife I started by trimming away all the unnecessary outside pieces then worked my way in for all the tight corners or small spaces that need to be cut it's easier to just perforate the cardboard by stabbing it repeatedly rather than trying to drag in cut which will often in a new cutting off more than you need or want the best advice for this part is to be patient it's gonna take you at least 30 to 45 minutes to cut everything out and your hand will probably cramp up a time or two i finished by cutting out all the rounded pieces last you can try to use round objects that are close and radius to what you're cutting but i chose just slowly freehand all the round cuts again patience is key once everything is cut out it's time to begin assembling insert the lenses into the two eye holes paying attention to their orientation the paper template tells you which direction the lenses should face fold the top third of the lens holder template down and the lower third up so that the middle panel is sandwiched between the two and the lenses can't fall out next use a straightedge to help you make straight and sharp folds on all the lighter colored lines on the template place the ceramic magnet in its designated spot I ended up gluing it and then put the neodymium magnet on the opposite side of that same piece of cardboard and start folding insert the lens holder with the divider and wrap the cardboard frame around it lining up all the proper slots and grooves when I folded mine up all the way I noticed there was an extra flap I didn't need so I cut it off and opened up the hole for access to the neodymium magnet which will operate at your select button when using the headset I added a touch of superglue to the inside of this panel include the headset shut you could also use velcro here if you choose next add the velcro strips to the top of the flap where you will later insert your phone and optionally you can add an NFC tag to your cardboard program it by downloading the app trigger and creating an action which will launch the cardboard app you will also need to download the cardboard app onto your phone first then launch the app and insert the phone into the headset you can now experience virtual reality at will the problem with this headset is that it won't work with larger phones like the Nexus 6 for that you will need a headset based on Google cardboard 2.0 which isn't quite as DIY friendly but just as possible to make yourself with a little more homework no magnets a conductive pad required by the way this is a fantastic way to get your hands on VR quickly and for dirt-cheap save for the lenses you can make 3 5 or even more of these for just a few bucks that is it it is literally that easy to make your own VR headset so if you found this helpful and you enjoyed it be sure to hit the thumbs up button below and don't forget to share it also give Android authority a follow if you have yet to do so and subscribe if you haven't done that yet also go to android authority comm for your source on all things Android and one last time my name is sailor Martin you can find me on Twitter and Instagram in most places at Casper Tech and I will see you in the next one