AntVR
| Product type | Virtual reality headset |
|---|---|
| Produced by | AntVR Technology Lenovo |
| Country | China |
| Introduced | 2014 |
| Discontinued | 2019 |
| Markets | Original & Cyclop- Worldwide Jitao- China AntVR for Lenovo- India, the Phillipines, Malaysia |
AntVR is a discontinued line of virtual reality headsets developed by the Chinese startup AntVR Technology.[1] Operating on open-source software, the headsets were intended to be interoperable with many platforms, including consoles, Blu-ray players and smartphones, but in practice the devices were only supported by PCs.[2][1] The original AntVR model was funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2014 and was sold internationally, while two low cost mobile variants were also marketed in eastern and southern Asia. None of the models gained widespread popularity. The company ultimately pivoted to augmented reality in the late 2010s and lost much of its staff amid financial trouble.[3]
History
The development of the AntVR occurred amid a wave of interest in virtual reality technology, sparked by the success of the Occulus Rift in the early 2010s.[4] AntVR Technology founder Qin Zheng began work on a VR headset as a student, using 3D printing and DIY tools to build a prototype in 2012. He was able to secure some Chinese investment in 2013, and dropped out of school to develop the product. As a startup based in Beijing, the intention of the company was to develop a headset with cross-platform support.[1][5]
A Kickstarter campaign ran in June 2014 and raised $260,000 of the $200,000 goal for the development of a virtual reality headset and convertible controller. The company later received "eight digit" funding from Sequoia Capital.[1][4] In order to build an install base for the technology, the headset was marketed internationally at only $300; essentially being distributed at cost.[1][6] Within China, it was marketed at RMB 1499 (US$242). A prototype walkable environment that used the AntVR headset, nicknamed "The Holodeck" was demonstrated at E3 2015, but the company did not have commercial plans for the demo at the time.[7] Dutch indie studio Excamedia acted as the European distributors of the headsets, and demonstrated the technology at Firstlook in October 2015.[8][9][10]
The cheaper Jitao model was also available in China from late 2014 and was akin to Google Cardboard, marketed at RMB 149.[4] In 2016 a Jitao variant was released in collaboration with Lenovo, which was available in Malaysia, the Philippines and India. Simply sold as "AntVR for Lenovo", the headset was designed to pair with Lenovo's K4 Note and Vibe X3. As a standalone item the Lenovo model was marketed at RM 99 in Malaysia and RS 1299 in India. It was also available in a bundle with the K4 Note at launch in India and the Philippines.[11][12][13][14] The headset was later packaged with the Vibe K5 Plus and Vibe K5 Note in India, where it was marketed as a "free" VR headset.[15] AntVR were briefly competitive in the Chinese market around this time, with 200,000 units sold across all models in Q1 2016.[16][17] The company had a target of one million units for the year.[18]
The 2017 AntVR Cyclop, and a revised 2018 Cyclop 2X launched as full headsets with OLED panels, however the devices struggled to compete in a market which by that point already had dominant established brands such as Occulus. Internationally it did not ship with a manual; users had to contact the company to be sent a PDF.[19][20] The Cyclop was negatively received and never gained widespread popularity.
After the Cyclop launch, AntVR Technology began to focus instead on augmented reality (AR) with the Mix AR headset.[21] This venture was unsuccessful, and in 2019 led to the company losing most of its staff and turning instead to R&D work. AntVR attended CES 2023 to demonstrate some new optics for AR, but was intending for another company to license the technology and no longer plans to manufacture its own headsets.[3]
Hardware
The AntVR headset made use of a 1920x1080 display per eye with an aspherical lens. Two 9-axis IMU sensors were used for motion and angular tracking. Zheng claimed that the lens and the headset's tracking system reduced dizziness. It also came with a transformable controller, that could be used as a gun, lightsaber or steering wheel by using attachments or folding hinged elements in the peripheral.[1]
The cheapter Jitao model was also compatible with the same controller, but instead used a smartphone dock in place of a screen much like Google Cardboard.[1][4] The Lenovo model was similar in design, with the sides open so users could reach in and operate the smartphone while wearing the device.[22]
The 2018 Cyclop model had an increased resolution of 2160x1200 per eye and a refresh rate of 90 Hz.[20]
Software
The wireless receiver for the headset ran on open-source software, with the intention that this would allow for interconnectivity with many devices. Zheng claimed that AntVR owners would be able to control Roomba devices using the headset and watch the on-board camera, and build their own receivers for unsupported devices.[6] The Lenovo model featured a "TheaterMax" mode, which was designed for watching videos.[23]
Several games were developed specifically for AntVR models, usually as collaborations between AntVR technologies and game studios:
- 魔咒传奇 (The Legend of Curse, 2014), a voice command based game for Jitao which was jointly developed with Unity Technologies.
- 蚂蚁Y黑 (Ant Y Black, 2014), also for Jitao[4]
- Vertigun (2015), an on-rails shooter developed by Excamedia for the FirstLook demonstration in 2015.
- 虚幻实战·位置跟踪版 (Unreal Combat- Position Tracking Edition, 2016), an online game for Cyclop.
- 几何·生存 (Geometry Survive, 2016), an exploration sandbox game for Cyclop.[24]
Reception
The AntVR and its successors received overwhelmingly negative reception. The headset was heavy and caused neck strain, and the tracking was not sufficient to counteract a sense of nausea. The screen was also difficult to look at. PCGamer added that "15 minutes with the AntVR would be enough to leave just about anyone nauseous, headachey, and probably in need of a second lunch."[25] The 2018 AntVR Cyclop model had similar issues with weight and user comfort. In the United Kingdom, Virtual Reality Shop stated that "You would have thought ANTVR would have given up on making VR headsets a long time ago", adding that the device and its pricing were "little more than a joke".[20]
The smartphone dock based models were also received negatively; the Economic Times reported glare issues with the Lenovo model. Light could leak in from the sides as it was left open, unlike most VR devices. The phone could also fall out of the dock if the user moved their head too quickly.[13][26]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Shu, Catherine (16 May 2014). "ANTVR Is An Open-Source, Cross-Platform Virtual Reality Gaming Kit". TechCrunch.
- ^ Hasan, Minal (6 May 2017). "Virtual reality in China. The next big thing or the next big bust?". Medium.
- ^ a b Lang, Ben (24 January 2023). "A Failed XR Startup is Back With Compact Optics That Switch Instantly Between AR & VR". Road to VR.
- ^ a b c d e Lee, Emma (12 December 2014). "Chinese VR Headset Maker ANTVR Hits Market with Slew of New Products · TechNode". TechNode.
- ^ "退学创业？科幻迷坚信人类可以进入到虚拟世界去_投资界". news.pedaily.cn.
- ^ a b Finley, Klint. "Out in the Open: A Virtual Reality Gadget That Anyone Can Hack". Wired.
- ^ Morgan, Jared (17 June 2015). "E3 2015: Industry Immersed in Virtual Reality Development". Hardcore Gamer.
- ^ "ANT VR bril en 4K gaming - De Hardwarehoek". pu.nl.
- ^ Shehata, Karim (6 October 2015). "Excamedia onthult Whack 'Em Zack, speelbaar op Firstlook Festival". Gamekings (in Dutch).
- ^ "De ANTVR op Firstlook - Willie Wartaal laat chicks rollen (video)". Xbox Nederland (in Dutch). 17 October 2015.
- ^ Icogo, Peter Jan "PJ" R. "Lenovo Vibe K4 Note WIth TheaterMax AntVR Appears At Villman, Priced At Just 10699 Pesos!". GIZGUIDE Your Gadget Coach.
- ^ Ismail, Izwan (16 March 2016). "Be everywhere with Lenovo's ANTVR headset New Straits Times". NST Online.
- ^ a b "ET Recommendations: Gadget, app, game". The Economic Times. 28 February 2016.
- ^ "Lenovo K4 Note announced with finger scanner and bundled VR headset". Android Authority. 5 January 2016.
- ^ Icogo, Peter Jan "PJ" R. "Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus And Vibe K5 Note With Free AntVR And Control Launched In PH, Priced At 8,999 And 11999 Pesos Respectively!". GIZGUIDE.
- ^ "Pioneers Pushing Boundaries". China Pictorial. 823: 46–55. January 2017.
- ^ Agam, Shah (December 13, 2016). "Sony's PlayStation VR tops HTC Vive in headset shipment battle". PC World.
- ^ "蚁视科技创始人兼CEO覃政：游戏动漫产业怎样把握VR风口？_投资界". news.pedaily.cn.
- ^ "ANTVR Cyclop: Full Specification". VRcompare.
- ^ a b c "ANTVR Cyclop 2C- Review, Hands-on and Unboxing". The VR Shop. 31 December 2021.
- ^ "AntVR Looks to Crowdfund Their Mix AR Glasses on Kickstarter". Hackster.io.
- ^ "Lenovo's AntVR Headset Is Easy to Use, for VR or Basic Big-Screen Fun". Gadgets 360. 18 March 2016.
- ^ "Lenovo ANT VR and Theatermax experience on Vibe K4 Note and Vibe X3". www.fonearena.com.
- ^ 宇, 杜 (7 January 2016). "蚁视发布二代虚拟现实头盔Cyclop，配备位置追踪系统". 动点科技 (in Chinese (China)).
- ^ Fenlon, Wes (22 June 2015). "The dangers of bad virtual reality". PC Gamer.
- ^ Singh, Nidhi (April 10, 2016). "Virtual Gets Real: A more immersive viewing experience is now possible with a range of new and affordable virtual reality headsets". Business Today.