Tokyo Virtual Reality Expo 2008: $80,000 high-end VR helmet presented

Yesterday I attended the 16th Industrial Virtual Reality Expo in Tokyo to find some cool tech to cover for CrunchGear. However, a lot of what I saw was just boring stuff. Advanced maybe, but boring: motion capturing systems, VR games, 3D projectors etc.

One exception was the so-called “High End Wearable Display Device” HEWDD-768. The VR helmet has been around for a while now, but I was able to scrutinize the newest version of the product and shoot a video. The display was presented by Crescent [JP], a Tokyo-based technology company.

The odd-looking head-mounted display uses overhead projection technology and comes with built-in airbags to make the device (2.4 kg) less cumbersome to wear. A weight canceller is also available. The HEWDD-768 features a resolution of 1280×768, 5.9 megapixel definition and 120 degrees of full stereoscopy.

Crescent charges $80,000 for the display, while the weight canceller will set you back $9,900.