MIT Sets to Cut VR's Cable Problem

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Researchers at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) claim to have a solution for the cables holding VR headset users down-- MoVR, a system using high-frequency radio signals to turn any headset wireless.

MIT Virtual RealityBut how can wireless technology replace the HDMI cables streaming data to VR headsets? After all, VR platforms work in real-time, meaning one cannot use compression to allow for lower data rates. According to MIT the key lies in "millimeter waves" (mmWaves), high-frequency signals many experts believe will be behind the super-fast 5G connectivity of the near future. Such signals handle the 6Gbps data rates required by VR visuals.

However mmWaves come with a hitch, as they are affected by obstacles and reflections-- even briefly moving a hand between a transmitter and receiver blocks the signal-- and require constant line of sight. This is where the MoVR system comes in. A programmable "mirror" detects the direction of the incoming mmWave signal and reflects it towards the receiver on the headset. MIT says the MoVR can "learn" correct signal direction to within 2 degrees, meaning it can correctly configure its angles.

The actual MoVR device consists of 2 phased array antennas able to focus signals into narrow beams before steering them at a microsecond timescale. The researchers say the hardware can be built in a device as small as a smartphone, and users can put multiple MoVR units in a single room to allow multiple people to play VR games in the same space simultaneously, all without blocking each others' signals.

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