a better explanation

Thought this might be of interest to users who have reduced visual acuity or use magnifying glasses on their spectacles:

http://9to5google.com/2016/02/18/cardboard-helps-woman-see/
Google Cardboard helps a woman see for the first time in 8 years

This is talking about the use of an app called:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.NearSighted
Near Sighted VR Augmented Aid
by Asylum Bound Games

Here is the youtube video from the article:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LBKNC7xj6M
My wife sees for the first time in 8 years


Basically it seems to magnifying the images - so acts like a telescope.  So I guess faces which would be far away and small, look bigger, so the person is able to use their peripheral vision somewhat.

Or in other words if the visual acuity or level of detail if is limited, then being able to zoom the object allows it to be seen bigger.

For background, the Google Cardboard system basically shows two images on the left and right side of the screen of your device.  And then you use magnifying glasses or lenses to so that you can put the device close to your face and be able to focus on it.

Those with near-sight i.e. who are able to focus very close can just look at their device with both eyes - so left eye sees the left image, and the right eye sees the right image.

Usually Google Cardboard is used to show virtual reality or graphics that has 3-dimensional effect i.e. you are showing two views of a scene - just like the 3D movies in cinemas.

However since each left and right image does not occupy the full screen but just half of it - the image is not wide but close to a square.

There are a number of apps on Google Play which offer the ability to take a VR ride on a rollercoaster etc. where a simulated view is shown - and it gives a reasonable effect - not as good as a 3D movie - but reasonable.


Google Cardboard is actually the cardboard box which Google has published the specification for - so you can buy Google Cardboard from amazon and other places - and their quality can vary a bit - since some use plastic lenses and some may use better quality lenses which focus better etc.

There already are apps which take a camera feed and mirror it on left and right.  But the app mentioned in the article above - does the same, but also gives an onscreen button to zoom the image.  Zoom too much and the image is pixellated i.e. is just expanding the image that is caught by the camera.  But it is a real-time feed.

So users who use high power magnifying lenses on their spectacles can use this app to do basically the same thing - except the zoom level would be controllable.