VFX1 Headgear
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2023) |
 Forte VFX1 Headgear | |
| Developer | Forte Technologies, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Release date | 1995 |
| Introductory price | US$995 (equivalent to $1,990 in 2023) |
| Display | Dual 263 × 230 color LCD displays |
| Platform | IBM-compatible PC, ISA bus, MS-DOS |
| Mass | 2.5 lb (1.1 kg) |
| Successor | VFX3D |
The Forte VFX1 Headgear was a consumer-level virtual reality headset marketed during the mid-1990s. It comprises a helmet, a handheld controller, and an ISA interface board, and offers head tracking, stereoscopic 3D, and stereo audio.[1]
History
The VFX1 Headgear was developed in the early 1990s by Forte Technologies, Inc. of
It was superseded by Interactive Imaging Systems' VFX3D in 2000. IIS was founded in 1997 after purchasing the assets of Forte Technologies and does business as Vuzix as of 2023.
Features
Visual: The helmet features dual 0.7" 263 × 230 active matrix
Auditory: The helmet includes built-in stereo speakers and a condenser microphone. Audio signals are routed to the sound card's line in/out jacks.
Tracking: Head movements are tracked with internal sensors for pitch (70 degrees), roll (70 degrees), and yaw (360 degrees). A hand-held controller called the CyberPuck offers three buttons and internal sensors for pitch and roll. It can emulate a mouse and is connected to the helmet by an ACCESS.bus interface cable.
Interface: Audio, video, and tracking information is transmitted through the VFX1 Headgear Interface Protocol (VIP) board, a 16-bit ISA card that receives video input from the video card's 26-pin VESA feature connector and routes audio signals to the sound card's line in/out through external 1/8" audio jacks. Audio, video, and tracking data is exchanged with the headset over a single proprietary 8-foot cable, which can be daisy-chained for improved mobility.
System requirements
- IBM-Compatible PC with 386 CPU[3]
- VGA video card with 26-pin VESA feature connector
- 16-bit ISA expansion slot for VIP board
- MS-DOS 5.0or later
- 500 KB free hard-drive space for drivers and utilities
- 20 KB conventional memory for drivers
- Optional: stereo sound card
References
- ^ "Forte VFX1". VRWiki. Archived from the original on 25 June 2016.
- ^ "Venture Funding". October 28, 1994.
- ^ "VFX1 Specifications".