DIY Google Cardboard

By Shayne Graham

Cost

Cost of VR headsets can vary. If you want a better performing one for video games like the

Oculus Rift, it will burn $400 in your pocket. If you want a VR headset for more of a video

watching use you can buy the Google Cardboard for $15. I made both of my VR Headsets at the

low cost of around $7.50 for 2. That is about $3.75 per headset.

How VR Can Help Education

Studies show that 65% of people are visual learners which means they learn better when

looking at things. With the VR Headset you can use apps like “InCell VR” for use in the classroom

like learning about different cells in the human body and what they do. Another app I had found

was “InMind VR 2” which seems to tackle the subject of psychology and the science of the mind.

How It Works

Before looking at how to create the VR headset let's look at how it works.When making your

own VR Headset it is important that you buy specific lenses. These lenses are called biconvex

lenses and they need to have a 45mm focal length. There are some on amazon you could buy if

you wanted to do this yourself. Using these special lenses make it so when you are using the VR

headset it magnifies the images on your device to make it into one image. It may be a bit blurry

but that is usually just resolution problems.

How to Make It

To make this VR Headset at home you will need 3 things. You need hot glue, those biconvex

lenses, and cardboard. First you need to cut out the pieces of cardboard into a few pieces. You

will need to cut out 2 10.5x10.5 cm pieces, 2 16.5x10.5cm make sure 1 of the pieces have a nose

cut out and they both have a head cut out, 4 10.5x16.5cm make sure 3 have eyes and nose cut

out while the last one is untouched. Glue the pieces together and you should be able to use it.

Note: While gluing together put the lenses in one of the eye holes and then glue 2 other pieces

with eye holes on the 2 sides of the cardboard so the piece with the lenses will be in the middle.

Materials and Cost

Cardboard box: Free

Box Cutter/Scissors: $10

Hot Glue Gun (with glue): $5

Biconvex Lenses (2 sets): $7.50

DIY Cardboard VR Headset $22.50 for 2 $11.25 for 1

Google Cardboard: $15 for 1 $25 for 2

InCell VR

This VR app was one that I used and tested to see how VR could help educate people. In this app

it takes you through mini games while explaining to you the certain parts of the cell like the

nucleus or the mitochondria. At first I did not understand how to use the app but picked it up as I

used it, to select things as you are in VR mode hold the small white dot in the middle on the

selection you are trying to select until a circle will start to form and when it is formed you will be

transferred to where you want to go. Honestly the app did refresh my memory on each cell and

the exact thing they do. If I had to rate the app I would give it ⅗ on the app store.

InMind VR 2

This app was great. Simply great, it was made by the same people who made InCell VR. I have

not taken Psychology but I can see how this can help visual learners in learning psychology and

the chemistry of the human mind. Personally I give the app ⅘ and not a full 5 because it can be

glitchy sometimes and loading can sometimes be annoying but all in all when it is smooth it is a

good app to use for this VR headset.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Do-It-Yourself Google Cardboard VR headset works and works well for visual learners that have a

hard time in certain subjects. This was a fun project to do and it was amazing to see how many students were looking

at the headset having fun with it. Entering the world of VR can be an experience that you can only experience once as

it is expensive but with this headset anyone can do it right at home.