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SimulaVR – The Simula One's Pricing and Kickstarter Goal

17 points by gurjeet 5y ago

mungoman2 5y ago
I'm interested in this product, but won't participate in the Kickstarter raiser. Imo Kickstarter is not the right platform for expensive products like this one. The risk is all put on the buyer and the probability of it fizzling is just too great.
- kanetw 5y ago
  What platform do you consider the right one?
  - mungoman2 5y ago
    Clumsy wording. What I meant more specifically is that I don't think crowdsourcing is the right model. This product is expensive and typical crowdsourcing places no obligation on the "seller" to actually deliver anything.
lwneal 5y ago
You need a swivel chair and a one meter radius of empty space. You need to touch-type, and you can't use a mouse (you point your head instead). You have to learn a system of hand gestures. But if you can adapt to the constraints, a VR workstation allows you to bypass limits like Fitt's Law [1] so you can work "at the speed of thought". Just like vim or emacs, VR is slower and more difficult at first. But in the long run, using it provides an advantage, and so it will be used. Will the future of VR productivity be open-source projects like SimulaVR? [2] Or will it all be part of Facebook's Metaverse? [3] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitts%27s_law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitts%27s_law [2] https://github.com/SimulaVR/Simula https://github.com/SimulaVR/Simula [3] https://tech.fb.com/connect-2021-our-vision-for-the-metaverse/ https://tech.fb.com/connect-2021-our-vision-for-the-metavers...
- beecafe 5y ago
  Can it really surpass Fitt's law? So far it seems like VR/AR UI designers take it into account
- kanetw 5y ago
  You don't need to touch type, since AR passthrough is available. And a mouse is supported as well (probably the best method of pointer input; hands are too unreliable and tiring for continuous movements). Eye tracking might be a mouse alternative, though.
- seanmcdirmid 5y ago
  > VR workstation allows you to bypass limits like Fitt's Law How does VR allow one to bypass Fitt’s law? I find target acquisition even harder in 3D settings, which really is only compensated for by having very large targets in VR UIs.
- georgewsinger 5y ago
  Simula's take on the Metaverse: https://simulavr.com/blog/we-dont-want-the-metaverse/ https://simulavr.com/blog/we-dont-want-the-metaverse/ TLDR: "We don't want to socialize in a Metaverse; we just want a productive VR Computer".
seanmcdirmid 5y ago
Not to be confused with the programming language Simula 1, an important milestone in PL history that led to the birth of OO.
- throw_away4256 5y ago
  also not to be confused with SimulAVR which is an older project I found searching for this one https://www.nongnu.org/simulavr/ https://www.nongnu.org/simulavr/ >The SimulAVR program is a simulator for the Atmel AVR family (now on Microchip) of microcontrollers.
rasz 5y ago
no specs, but they know the cost and price structure, sounds legit
- georgewsinger 5y ago
  Specs are posted on previous announcements: - https://simulavr.com/blog/vr-comparison/ https://simulavr.com/blog/vr-comparison/ - https://simulavr.com/blog/technical-overview/ https://simulavr.com/blog/technical-overview/

17 points by gurjeet 5y ago

I'm interested in this product, but won't participate in the Kickstarter raiser. Imo Kickstarter is not the right platform for expensive products like this one. The risk is all put on the buyer and the probability of it fizzling is just too great.

kanetw 5y ago
What platform do you consider the right one?
- mungoman2 5y ago
  Clumsy wording. What I meant more specifically is that I don't think crowdsourcing is the right model. This product is expensive and typical crowdsourcing places no obligation on the "seller" to actually deliver anything.

lwneal 5y ago

You need a swivel chair and a one meter radius of empty space. You need to touch-type, and you can't use a mouse (you point your head instead). You have to learn a system of hand gestures. But if you can adapt to the constraints, a VR workstation allows you to bypass limits like Fitt's Law [1] so you can work "at the speed of thought". Just like vim or emacs, VR is slower and more difficult at first. But in the long run, using it provides an advantage, and so it will be used. Will the future of VR productivity be open-source projects like SimulaVR? [2] Or will it all be part of Facebook's Metaverse? [3] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitts%27s_law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitts%27s_law [2] https://github.com/SimulaVR/Simula https://github.com/SimulaVR/Simula [3] https://tech.fb.com/connect-2021-our-vision-for-the-metaverse/ https://tech.fb.com/connect-2021-our-vision-for-the-metavers...

beecafe 5y ago
Can it really surpass Fitt's law? So far it seems like VR/AR UI designers take it into account
kanetw 5y ago
You don't need to touch type, since AR passthrough is available. And a mouse is supported as well (probably the best method of pointer input; hands are too unreliable and tiring for continuous movements). Eye tracking might be a mouse alternative, though.
seanmcdirmid 5y ago
> VR workstation allows you to bypass limits like Fitt's Law How does VR allow one to bypass Fitt’s law? I find target acquisition even harder in 3D settings, which really is only compensated for by having very large targets in VR UIs.
georgewsinger 5y ago
Simula's take on the Metaverse: https://simulavr.com/blog/we-dont-want-the-metaverse/ https://simulavr.com/blog/we-dont-want-the-metaverse/ TLDR: "We don't want to socialize in a Metaverse; we just want a productive VR Computer".

seanmcdirmid 5y ago

Not to be confused with the programming language Simula 1, an important milestone in PL history that led to the birth of OO.

throw_away4256 5y ago
also not to be confused with SimulAVR which is an older project I found searching for this one https://www.nongnu.org/simulavr/ https://www.nongnu.org/simulavr/ >The SimulAVR program is a simulator for the Atmel AVR family (now on Microchip) of microcontrollers.

rasz 5y ago

no specs, but they know the cost and price structure, sounds legit

georgewsinger 5y ago
Specs are posted on previous announcements: - https://simulavr.com/blog/vr-comparison/ https://simulavr.com/blog/vr-comparison/ - https://simulavr.com/blog/technical-overview/ https://simulavr.com/blog/technical-overview/