Finnish VR/XR hardware company Varjo is launching its latest headset, the XR-3 Focal Edition, which features superior visual quality.
Manufacturers have sought to increase visual clarity in head-mounted displays (HMDs), and there have been improvements over the years.
In VR gaming, high visual clarity is desirable but not necessary to play.
In training scenarios where HMDs are integral, visual clarity can be quite important.
Clearer, Closer
Varjo says it designed the XR-3 for mixed-reality applications involving real-world objects like cockpits and car dashboards.
Varjo says the XR-3 is ideal for training scenarios where reading small text and illustrations on physical instruments is mission-critical.
The headset features dual 12-megapixel cameras, which Varjo says it calibrated to provide improved visual clarity in the 30-80 centimeter range.
Varjo says focusing on objects close to the video sensor requires a nearer focal point.
Optimized components in the XR-3’s camera system change the focal distance, bringing a sharper depth of field closer to the user.
“The use of XR-based devices across the training and simulation segment has grown exponentially over the past year, and we’re pleased to be working with the world’s leading simulation and training companies across both civilian and defense sectors,” says Varjo CCO Seppo Aaltonen. “We heard from our customers the need for more precise visuals at a closer distance, specifically when looking at dashboards, cockpits, and cell phones, and we responded with the XR-3 Focal Edition to address the need.”
No Account or Connection Required
Varjo says the XR-3 is fully TAA/BAA-compliant.
According to the company, TAA compliance is becoming an ever-increasing requirement for HMD use in secure, classified operations.
Many HMDs require users to create accounts and have internet connections to be able to use them,
The XR-3 comes with a perpetual offline license, allowing use without an account and in environments without internet connections.
Customers can also order the XR-3 without its radio frequency capability for operations in designated classified environments.
“By using the XR-3 Focal Edition, we can view training environments from every angle in 3D compared to a two-dimensional soda-straw view without it. We can convert quickly into full virtual reality to see from the trainee’s point of view just as easily as we can transition to a mixed reality view,” says Battlespace Simulations Inc. Consultant Dan Meeks. “The XR-3 Focal Edition provides the clarity to check if the wings of an aircraft miles away are level while also clearly and vibrantly showing something that is millimeters in size in the operations center.”
Varjo says it is committed to providing the highest immersion for customers with its VR and XR products and services.
The company will hold an official online launch event for the XR-3 Focal Edition on Thursday, December 8.
Image: Varjo