Chinese company Dlodlo has unveiled a new wearable virtual reality headset, which it claims is the first in the industry to feature a real glass design. Dlodlo have used a combination of carbon fiber and real sunglasses-type lenses for the Dlodlo V1. The company also explains that the VR headset will be as comfortable to wear as a pair of ordinary glasses thanks to the liberal use of silicon materials for the inside – the idea here is that the headset won’t irritate the face even if it’s worn for a feature length movie or television show. The V1 is not simply a pretty face: it contains a 2,400 by 1,200 resolution display with a 105-degree field of view, and Dlodlo’s engineers explain that they have developed an algorithm designed to work in the background to counteract visual latency and distortion when wearing the glasses.
However, although the Dlodlo V1 does look much closer to a pair of consumer sunglasses than the majority of VR headsets, sadly the new V1 does not have its svelte profile because of advances in display, processor and graphics technology: the device does not contain the necessary control module to power the displays, nor the necessary cage to mount a smartphone or phablet to drive the electronics. Instead, this is a tethered VR headset, which must be connected to either a computer or a dedicated control module. Dlodlo’s Chief Executive Officer, Li Gang, stated that the company are “committed to getting more people to enjoy the ultimate virtual reality experience any time at anywhere,” which presumably means that the V1 control module is relatively small and discrete. He continue to explain that the company is intent on building a complete VR ecosystem called Dlodlo World, where the business has integrated the platform, hardware, software, application and community.
As a business, Dlodlo was founded in 2013 and is staffed with many industry experts. The V1 is meant to compete with businesses such as Oculus and HTC and is not an entry level virtual reality headset, such as the Samsung Gear VR. The V1 is expected to ship in October with an estimated price in the United States of America of $600, but as of yet we’ve no word on the other accessories that will be required for an experience more than simply watching a 3D movie: the control pads and gloves necessary to manipulate the virtual world that the wearer is in. Nevertheless, Dlodlo’s ambitious plans for the stylish V1 might be enough to help push product sales.