Can we create vr apps compatible for google cardboard VR headset?

[Amshak M]

Hello, Since i like creating apps using app inventor , I was wondering if there is any way we could make virtual reality headset based app that can be used in google cardboard . Making use of sensors available in app inventor , Can we make a real VR app? Has anyone thought about it and attempted in making one ? If any i would really be interested in making my own. Also in future , I like see mit app inventor compatible in making VR apps with inbuilt VR blocks . Since it is open source i like someone to develop VR compatible software so that any one can use easily develop an app . It must include a block that connects phones gyroscopic sensors linked with image sprint. That is we can move an object while moving the head right or any. 

But for now I like to know or somehow develop an alternate way to make VR app using existing blocks.

Thank you, 

Feeling exited to see reply. 

[SteveJG]

At the moment, this is probably impossible with App Inventor;  App Inventor does not have the tools to do this.   The best way to do this would be to use Eclipse or Android Studio that have the extensive libraries necessary to communicate with these devices.  You need a professional Android compiler.  Block is not going to work for this project.

Regards,

Steve

[Abraham Getzler]

If I understand the cardboard 3D viewer concept right,

the 3D effect is gotten by displaying two slightly different

images side by side, with the cardboard add-on separating

each eye's field of view from the other eye's field of view,

so each eye sees only one of the two images.

So your app need only show two canvases side by side,

with sprites overlaid on the canvases at slightly different

locations?

That sounds possible to me.

Here's a link to an app that uses sprites overlaying each other

to show how to handle relative positioning of multiple sprites...

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/app-inventor-developers-library/libraryprojectsself-contained/4PkofcrnWP0

The Developers library has other samples, possibly involving perspective simulation.

ABG

[Amshak M]

Yes. It seems that it could be done. Anyway virtual reality headset is our future. Companies like Volvo are already using the technology to view 360 degrees of their models. Mobile company One plus has announced that it will launch its latest product live in virtual reality. Its dated July 27th .Anyone can watch it using VR cardboard. So I guess lot of importance should be given to this field as this will be the future. And we will be the first once implementing this.

I thought of using 2 Canvas separated be prescribed distance. Starting with your room, take a 360 degree photos of the room . May be around 60-100 photos as a start. Upload for both the canvas. Use phones sensors, Allocate each photo for each angle of movement of the head. And Walla!!! You have 360 degree view of your room. The photo changes for each degree of movement.

It seems easy . But i don't have a clue how to use the sensors to perform such operations. I have to first get familiar with sensors part of app inventor. And with busy schedule, I may not able to get it done fast. So if anyone is interested, can go through this concept and share their ideas.

Have any one tried Google Sky map kind of app in app inventor? I guess it will be similar to this.

Ps: Google VR cardboard can be made by yourself byh following tutorials or you can buy one for less than 6 dollars.

[Greg Jensen]

Per ABGs post, it might be pretty easy to show still pictures on a pair of canvases and get a stereo vision effect (I hate calling that 3D). With some fancy math you might even be able to animate sprites and get a similar effect. Would be pretty cool to see what you could do with AI2. 

Tracking the movement of the device and 'moving' the pictures to match the accelerations will be way beyond what AI2 can do.  You're basically constructing an inertial guidance system and laying something like Google street view onto it.