Google isn't ready to discuss firm plans for moving beyond Cardboard, but Dodocase is. The accessory manufacturer just launched an Indiegogo campaign with the hopes of bringing a more durable smartphone VR viewer to the masses.
When Google introduced the idea of using a cardboard headset to view VR on smartphones, many consumers and analysts awaited a punchline.
Dodocase knew Google's whimsical approach to VR was a reality. The company became the first "Works with Cardboard" partner and began shipping DIY cardboard kits shortly after Google introduced the concept at its annual I/O developer's conference in June 2014.
With Cardboard viewers now in the hands of millions of consumers, the flow of made-for-mobile VR content continues to increase. Dodocase saw a need for something more durable than Cardboard, and so it conceived SMARTvr.
"We realized that as amazing as Cardboard VR is for your first taste of VR, in order to consume all the VR content that is pouring onto our smartphones, we needed something more portable and more durable," says Dodocase. "SMARTvr is the result of all these inputs. We wanted to build a product that would be your conduit to all the amazing content being created for your mobile phone."
SMARTvr is based on the same concept as Cardboard and complies with Google's guidance on designing viewers for smartphones. But instead of using cardboard and plastic lenses to convert smartphones into VR headsets, SMARTvr employs higher-quality components.
SMARTvr's consists of a microsuede lens cover and light shield, and a pair of "premium" 34 mm lenses made from acrylic. The viewer is fitted with metal hinges that'll allow it to fold flat time and time again - something that can't be done with a typical Cardboard kit even once.
Dodocase's VR viewer was designed in collaboration with engineers from MIT and San Jose State, and its development benefited from the counsel of a former Apple engineer. The viewer still doesn't have a head strap, however.
"By requiring users to hold SMARTvr to their faces, we engage the entire torso when swiveling around enjoying VR experiences," explains Dodocase. "An engaged torso helps retain equilibrium when standing using your viewer. This allows SMARTvr to be enjoyed in any environment. This is also a mandate of the 'Works with Cardboard' certification program from Google."
Dodocase is seeking $25,000 from its Indiegogo campaign to make bring SMARTvr to the masses. If all goes as planned, the first SMARTvr viewers will ship to backers in June of this year.
