Baofeng announces finger-tracking VR headset in Beijing

 

A domestic virtual reality (VR) manufacturer unveiled the world's first commercial hand tracking mobile-driven VR headset, enabling a gesture recognition approach to create an immersive experience for users.

During the company's strategic announcement event held on Tuesday in Beijing, Baofeng Technology Co Ltd showcased its fifth generation smartphone-driven VR, named Mojing (meaning magic mirror) 5.0 and Mojing 5.0 Plus, which comes with a Micro USB and a Type C dual port to be compatible with 4.7-inch to 5.5-inch Android phones with USB On-The-Go function.

Attendees of Baofeng Technology's products launch event experience the company's latest generation mobile VR devices, May 31, 2016. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Mojing 5.0 Plus is believed to be the first mobile-driven VR goggle that embedded American computer sensor developer -- Leap Motion Inc's finger tracking solution designed for VR device to support hand and finger motions as input methods, similarly to a mouse in the PC world.

"VR and augmented reality (AR) will be the next wave of technology revolution, following the expansion footprint of smartphones and mobile Internet. The entire industry will become a new access to drive the development of associated sectors," said Huang Xiaojie, CEO of Baofeng Mojing, the VR arm of the Beijing-based company.

Huang also elaborated the company's future development strategy: manufacturing finger-tracking-enabled VR hardware, building VR content with partners and establishing an eco-system that collaborates with both upstream and downstream firms and developers in the industry to promote products and educate users.

Michael Buckwald, Leap Motion co-founder and CEO, said that by comparing with the technology improvements that happened in smartphones or super computers, the way people interactive with the machines have not been changed frequently.

Buckwald pointed out that the existing interaction solution, which is attaching external physical controllers, will definitely have a negative influence on the immersive experience that VR provides for its users.

He believes that hand and finger based interaction is going to be the future for VR and AR as there is nothing more natural than the two hands you use on an everyday basis.

Buckwald expects 90 percent of the VR devices purchased by consumers will be mobile VR.

Baofeng also introduced its first VR ROM -- Magic UI during the event.

The company announced a series of partner cooperation agreements with companies such as hlbn.cc, Hanbitsoft, thecover.cn, The Travel Channel and Uniquedu Education Group to pioneer VR's technology implementation in entertainment, game, media and education areas.

Statistics from Baofeng shows that, more than 5,000 physical VR experience stores have been built around the country, and the firm's VR products have shipped 1 million units as of March this year.

According to industry consultancy iResearch Consulting Group, China's VR market revenues are expected to top 5.6 billion yuan this year, up from 1.5 billion yuan in 2015, and reach 55 billion yuan by 2020.