StarVR debuts eye-tracking VR headset for enterprise use

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Taipei-based StarVR today debuts a new virtual reality headset for the enterprise. With integrated eye-tracking and a so-called 100-percent human viewing angle, the StarVR One is a new addition to the growing field of enterprise-only head mounted displays, a hardware category that's still making a case for itself as consumer VR tech gets more impressive.

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The StarVR One's 210-degree horizontal field of view corresponds to the natural human field of vision. That means the headset simulates peripheral vision, a shortcoming in most current consumer and enterprise headsets.

Accurately simulated peripheral vision enables more lifelike and immersive virtual reality scenarios, which is particularly beneficial in use cases such as flight simulation or teaching technicians to operate heavy machinery.

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"StarVR continues its legacy of innovation that pushes past the barriers standing in the way of enterprise-grade VR experiences," said Emmanuel Marquez, CTO of StarVR. "StarVR is blazing new trails to deliver break-through technology for a new world of realism to support real business decisioning and value creation. With our StarVR One headset we are conquering the VR final frontier -- the enterprise."

It might be more accurate to say the enterprise is AR/VR's first frontier. While consumer applications are expanding, they're largely confined to the gaming space. The enterprise, however, is adopting VR at a blistering pace, particularly in the areas of operations & safety training, sales & marketing, and even human resources.

Enterprise-only headsets like the DAQRI and HTC's VIVE Pro are catering to that booming market. Google Glass has been reinvented and is having a tremendous second act as an enterprise-first AR headset.

Whether the market will continue to be so clearly differentiated into consumer and enterprise categories remains to be seen. With Microsoft set to debut a consumer version of HoloLens and Magic Leap finally bringing out a headset, the categories may converge in the same way most other personal and mobile computing hardware has.

For now, the StarVR One is an impressive tool for business training. The eye-tracking measures Interpupillary Distance and adjusts images for every viewer. The display concentrates high-quality rendering where the eyes are focused.

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The eye-tracking can also yield intent data and gaze analysis, interpreting a user's eye movements.

The announcement came today at SIGGRAPH 2018, the annual conference on computer graphics.

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