Google Cardboard on Android 2

in: android

We backported Google Cardboard to Android 2 in order to use old surplus phones to teach yoga.

Email us for the source code. This is an experimental, unsupported project.

We’ve worked on the video compression in order to reduce hardware requirements, and in addition to this ported the Google Carboard functionality to work as far back as Android 2.3.5 in order to allow older and cheaper mobile phones to use these capabilities (though performance on older hardware may vary due to degradation).

Lastly, a simple separate keypad helps with allowing one to immerse in the simulation and exercise, simply by meaning you don’t have to remove the headset to select which workout you’re going to do, or stick your fingers that close to your eyes. While the Mars Without Borders project included work on compartmentalizing individual exercises and having a smart-trainer program select exercises to maximize end-user benefit, that’s simply infeasible as a general product version at this stage. Outside a few niche, special-interest markets, few would be inclined to go to the cost of purchasing or utilizing a heavily electronicized full-body sensor suit.

Though if the cost of producing, or custom-fitting such suits were to dramatically decrease, that side of the project may see wider implementation as well.