# Critical Sarcasm for the knees

# Old Ass Sudotask

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## Kickstarter: Depth-VR

Over at the Kickstarters they have a little project called Depth-VR: 3D world jumping out of your screen.

According to NCF Group, the people who created this project, the "Depth-VR is a 3D head tracking device that brings unprecedented realism to 3D objects on your computer screen."

VR/3D technology has always been interesting, even back during the Nintendo days of pressing select and watching the screen go all wonky as you put on your red/blue glasses. VR projects have come much further than that over the past couple of decades.

The Depth-VR team aims to turn any TV into a 3D experience. For standard displays red/blue glasses will still be needed, but for 3d/120hz displays, polarized glasses will be used.

### How does it work?

The Depth-VR system will consist of three parts:

- Monitoring tower
- Glasses
- A motion controller.

The Monitoring tower is attached to the top of a TV and connected to a PC via USB. The glasses, of course, are worn by the user which respond with the monitoring tower to track position. The motion controller is used to interact with whatever program is being run.

Watching the video on their homepage is the only way to do it justice; however, the basic idea is that the glasses, paired with the monitoring station, will move perspective around on the screen, as well as displaying 3D aspects.

So pretty neat idea. Although it works quite a bit different, it does reminds me of the CastAR project which also uses head tracking and perspective for VR, but they use a special sheet instead of a monitor.

### How much will it cost?

They are asking for $50,000 and so far have only accumulated $12,155 with 17 days to go. It's not looking like they will be meeting their goal, but you never know.

$50,000 doesn't seem like it is enough to start production anyway. However, I know very little about NCF Group; it is possible that they already have money and are simply using Kickstarter for marketing purposes. However, this seems unlikely.

### Pledge Levels

Starting off they have two early backer pledges of $60 (red/blue glasses or polarized) which will include the basic VR set which includes the two main parts of the system, but no motion controller. This seems like a really low price point; I may not be a hardware designer, but I have heard plenty of horror stories about working with manufactures. Minimum order quantities leads to the death of many small projects.

The non-early backer versions start at the $99 price point. This seems quite a bit more reasonable, but still rather low considering that it seems to be a small company trying to make it happen.

If you want that motion controller you need to pay at least $115, which will get you the whole set. It seems like a good price point, from a consumer point of view, but it again must be noted that this seems to be a small company. They simply can't order millions of units, like Samsung can, or sell the units at cost, like Google can, and stay afloat as a company.

Their last pledge level is for $310. This level will still give you the full three-part system, but also includes an AOC 3D display. Sounds pretty nifty, but they don't give any information other that the manufacture, AOC, and that it will be a 3D display. Again, this level seems a bit under-priced. Unless this monitor is tiny, it will cost the majority of that pledge level, and let's not forget shipping. It seems to be included.

Wow, the Depth-VR seems like a neat piece of tech, and for $100 I'd be on board, but not as an investor. I fear this project won't meet it's funding goals, it's too ambitious for only $50,000, and that it will get stuck in Manufacturing hell if it does manage to meet funding. Well, good luck NCF Group.