A new technology could enable VR headsets that don’t require physically connecting to a computer.
Researchers from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have now created a prototype system that enables high-bandwidth data connections between PCs and VR headsets.
Unlike the traditional wireless data technologies like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, this system will use high-frequency millimeter wave radio to stream data from a computer to a headset at several gigabytes per second -- a dramatically higher speed compared to anything that is available with today’s wireless.
The MoVR system uses a special high-frequency radio signal called millimeter waves (mmWaves), which are similar to radio waves used in WiFi technology but are at a higher frequency. Since VR platforms require to work in real-time, data transfer speed and system latency is all important -- two factors that until now could be reliably implemented only using wired systems. The system also uses intelligent compression to further optimize the system’s efficiency. However, owing to the high frequencies being utilized mmWaves require a clear line of sight between the transmitter and receiver for it to work reliably. mmWaves could be potentially used in other mobile applications as well, including 5G mobile and for interconnecting home IoT products.
HARDWARE
Each MoVR device consists of two directional antennas that are each less than half the size of a credit card. The antenna’s phased arrays fous signals into narrow beams that can be electronically steered at a timescale of microseconds. Researchers believe that MoVR’s hardware could be as small as a smartphone, which would allow users to have several devices in a single room. Reportedly, this would enable multiple people to participate in a VR game simultaneously without blocking each other’s signals. The system has been tested with an HTC Vive, but is said to work with potentially any headset. The team hopes that someday this system could change the uptake of VR, resulting in systems that eliminate the need to physically connect a headset to a powerful computer..
“It’s very exciting to get a step closer to being able to deliver a high-resolution, wireless-VR experience,” says MIT professor Dina Katabi, whose research group has developed the technology. “The ability to use a cordless headset really deepens the immersive experience of virtual reality and opens up a range of other applications.”
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 "wireless VR, virtual reality, mmWaves, MoVR, MoVR system, Web Exclusive, VR games,")
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