Indonesia
Wow! Put This On, Gaming is Just Moving Your Head
Last June 2014, the mega company Google released virtual reality Google Cardboard. This device is nothing like ready-to-wear handphone, like pay and play. We need to assemble the device by folding the carboard -yes, it’s cardboard- like when we are doing origami.
In Surabaya, there’s a new version of Google Cardboard created by Emanuel Caesar, a freshman college of Bachelor of Information Technology (BIT) Sekolah Tinggi Teknik Surabaya (STTS). At first, he was just spending leisure time modifying Google Cardboard design using simpler materials that actually is very not complicated. The result, the application device called BIT Culus works as well as Google Cardboard. Awesome!
“The idea was pure Google Cardboard. All I did was giving it a little modification,” said Emanuel. He worked with used cardboard, magnet, rubber and loop (magnifying glass) we use to read book. Now, in the official manual published by Google for assembling Google Cardboard, there’s no loop. But Emanuel chose to use loop rather than biconvex lens of the original Google Cardboard. “I tried biconvex on loop instead,” this 18 years teenager explained.
The he made a hole in the center of the cardboard to put the lens. Inside the square small cardboard, Android smartphonewas placed directly facing the lens. The last touch was to put magnet on the side of the cardboard for the button.
The thing is, does it really work? Yes it does. Emanuel had going repeatedly testing the device to his friends. According to them, game with BIT Culus gives real life effect more alive. Also, they no longer needed Bluetooth stick or other device. Playing game is all about swinging head to left and right.
So how much did Emanuel spend for this device? “Only Rp 50.000,” he said calmly. Emanuel designed the BIT Culus application about one week when engaging is a workshop with theme “Virtual Reality Games with Google Cardboard and Oculus Rift” in Surabaya, December 2014. The event was part of series CSEdWeek (Computer Science Education Week), held simultaneously in several countries.
HAFIDA INDRAWATI
FOTO: HAFIDA INDRAWAT
