A new virtual reality headset called Fove is trying to humanize the virtual world by reading subtle eye movements to allow more precise control in video games. FOVE’s technology reads subtle eye movements, translating them into emotionally experiences. The headset combines a 2560x1440 VR display with precision eye-tracking and motion tracking, allowing users to fully explore 360-by-360-degree virtual worlds using both their head and eyes. FOVE projects your gaze into 3D space, enabling you to accurately communicate with and control the virtual environment. With FOVE, eyes are used for enhanced input control, providing faster, more accurate, and more natural input than with traditional mouse, keyboard, or controller; which were developed primarily for interactions in 2 dimensions.

Eye-tracking can also help solve one of the major hurdles for VR: the excessive hardware required for high quality rendering. Outside the center of a person’s field of view, our vision is very poor, with our brain filling in most of the missing details. Foveated rendering can focus fidelity on the part of our vision that matters the most, leading to better performance on lower-end hardware, such as laptops or even smartphones. A further benefit of eye-tracking is focus expression, by calculating the subtle parallax between pupils, FOVE can present virtual environments with realistic depth of field, improving immersion and allowing eyes to relaxing when viewing objects at varying depths.

With FOVE, for the first time, users can make eye contact, freely express their emotions, and communicate with virtual characters just as they might do in the real world. FOVE’s eye tracking technology goes beyond just gaming and interactive cinema, and can also be used in real-world applications, such as medical, education, virtual tourism and conference.

The company is launching a Kickstarter campaign to bring FOVE to consumers and game developers. FOVE is aiming to raise $250,000 to perfect the product and start manufacturing.

FOVE is also working with content developers to provide more games and movies to FOVE users. FOVE will be shipping developer kits by Q3 this year to pilot developer partners.

The FOVE platform is compatible with content developed using Unity, Unreal, and Cry engine. FOVE users will gain access to the VR app store that is home to VR content. The device is now available on Kickstarter with pledge levels for the FOVE headset starting from $349 for
early bird backers.

FOVE Specifications :

• HEADSET
  • Weight: 400g (Projected)
    
• DISPLAY
  • Size: 5.8 in. (14.7 cm)
  • Resolution: WQHD (2560 x 1440)
  • Field of View: 100+ degrees
  • Frame Rate: 60 fps (90 fps projected)
  • Low Persistence
    
• EYE TRACKING SENSORS
  • Two small form-factor infrared eye tracking systems
  • Eye Tracking Accuracy <0.2 degree (projected)
  • 120 fps per eye
    
• HEAD TRACKING SENSORS
  • Low latency 6/9 DOF IMU
  • Low Latency head position tracking (projected)
    
• CONNECTIONS
  • USB 3.0
  • Display Port
  • 3.5mm Headphone Port on Device (Projected)
    
• PC REQUIREMENTS
  • A computer with dedicated graphics card with display port output capable of running modern, graphics intensive games at WQHD (2560x1440) at 100FPS or greater is recommended