- Project: Nuitrack
- Client: Papillon, Miass, Russia
- Year: 2015
Nuitrack is a conceptual design project of 3d-sensor for virtual reality. The device reads gestures, processes the data and sends it via Bluetooth to a smartphone. No PC or any external unit is required for processing the data, unlike in Xbox or PlayStation. This means you can play virtual reality games just with your phone and some cardboard VR glasses. The client has chosen another design firm to implement this project. Nevertheless the project is dear to me, it has taught me a lot.
All that is needed is a scanner and a smartphone
I used to think that virtual reality games required special glasses. But it is much easier in fact. You just place your phone in a box, inside of which there is an opaque wall dividing the smartphone screen into 2 parts, and put it on your head. In some models there are lenses within for the enhanced experience. Smartphone screen displaces slightly different images on its two halves thus producing the effect of three-dimensional image.
Formative concept
As the gadget was intended for the games market, I studied analogues (mainly the Xbox and PlayStation, as the market leaders). The imagery of game consoles is rough: sharp edges instead of roundings, aggressive form reinforced by slopes or diagonal ribs, laconic shape, black color. Hence the formative concept which is based on the combination of triangular and quadrilateral planes, sharp edges, geometric primitives. Air inlet with active diagonal edges conveys the image of insolence and arrogance.
Layout
The scanner rotates around the axis by 20 degrees downward and 30 degrees upwards. L-shaped configuration of the base is needed to cling to the frontal plane of the TV or laptop. On the bottom edge of the base there is a tripod mounting nut. Rubber inserts are needed for stability on different surfaces. The lower parts rotate to securely position the device on different surfaces: desk, TV, laptop screen.
The layout of the device includes a heat sink and a cooler, located in the center, which significantly increase the width of the device. Faceted form elegantly conceals the increased size.
