INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL REALITY MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM



In early 1994, Atari and Virtuality teamed up to make a home-based VR system to take game players beyond a whole new arena of gaming entertainment. Appearing later in 1995 the first VR headset -(Red unit)- was a low resolution headset and Atari officials reviewed the hardware-they were not satisfied with the quality. With this in mind, Virtuality went back to revise and upgrade the headset to meet Atari's demand. While this happened, Atari had plans to exit the video game market and merge with "JTS" while Virtuality still hard at work made the Blue headset that used a higher resolution display and fixed other minor problems as well as the voice communication and extra IPD adjustments.  As it stands, Atari severed ties with Virtuality. The company received not a penny for the work they did which is why I believe this led Virtuality out of business (into other hands anyhow).
However, other rumors still exist such as Virtuality couldn't make a headset for the targeted price Atari had wanted.

Two products did happen to make use out of the JaguarVR HMD technology. The Philips Scuba Visor and Takara Dynovisor were extremely close in relation to the JagVR, only both the Scuba and Dynovisor were upgraded with contrast/ipd controls under the headset. Only 1 game works for the headset w/tracking on the Jaguar, Missile Command VR(3D). Both 3D and Virutal versions of the game enable head tracking.

(LEFT) - 15-pin female communication port. Thiis port would allow you to plug a HIGH DENSITY 15-pin male-to-male cable from the tracking unit to the 2nd port of the Jaguar system to allow for communication.
A high speed DSP chip within the tracker calculates the position of the HMD and sends the correct code(s) to the Jaguar. Without the correct codes (Being a SET#7 even and odd chipset) one can not use the headset in conjunction with the Jaguar. JagCube has these codes copied!

(MIDDLE) - This 25-pin female port allows for daata to be received from the HMD and the Power, Video, and Audio signal to be transmitted into the headset.

(RIGHT) - This 15-pin female port was designed for future use of a space joystick, in which never made actual development but was extremely close to completion as boards were produced to communicate with the VR Gun. A secondary board would be hooked into the port, with one other port leading to the VR gun. (Requiring 2 trackers, one for the HMD and one for the Space Joystick)

(SIDE RIGHT) - There is a small black knob to control the volume for the headset.

Back of transmitter showing the Jaguar logo (sensor)
First port to left is power supply for tracking unit (this also supplied the power to the headset)
Second port-from left to right-, (empty) was to be used to ground the tracking unit.
Third port , this is used to connect any Atari legend Composite or S-Video cable for TV connection.
Fourth port(right end) was to be used connecting the cable from the A/V output of the Jaguar.

This is a mock-up of what the final version would have looked like.
The space gun contains no internal electronics as the project was canceled before completion of the gun.
(A possibility remains that it was however completed, but no proven facts have been displayed from research.)
Two triggers, one you see, and another on top.

A close-up of the Blue VR Headset.
The two red domes contains one sensor board each (for the IR tracking)
Unlike the Red VR headset, the Blue headset did not have a red LED on top of the unit, as to display power.
Directly underneath the headset is a tiny opening for the mic to transmit voice.

The only game that works with the Jaguar and Jaguar VR system-Missile Command 3D(VR)
Although a demo was shown of Zone Hunter running through the headset there is no known code to exist
for the Jaguar. Alipine boards were discovered from Virtuality with only a "dead" battery.
Any information the boards contained had been lost. The proposed pack-in was to be Zone Hunter.


-Bad News For Atari Article-

-Click here to view Article-
-Jim Gives VR Test Drive-

-Click here to view Picture-
-Jim Gives Feedback on VR-

-Click here to view Picture-
-Jaguar VR COMING SOON!-

-Click here to view Picture-
-VR Headset Coming for Jaguar-
-Click here to view Article-
-E3 Jaguar VR Demonstration-

-Click here to view Picture-
-E3 Jaguar VR Demo-(2)-

-Click here to view Picture-
-Jaguar HMD and Space Gun-

-Click here to view Picture-
*-GameFan Jaguar VR Info-*

-Click here to view Picture-
*-NextGen Scan of Jaguar VR-*

-Click here to view Picture-
*-NextGen Scan of Jaguar VR-*

-Click here to view Picture-
-VR shot at E3-

-Click here to view Picture-
-Yet another Jag VR Test Drive-

*-Click here to view Article-*
-Red VR HMD-

-Click here to view Picture-
-Looking into Red HMD-

-Click here to view Picture-
-Looking into Blue HMD-

-Click here to view Picture-

 

 

**-Special thanks to JaguDome for use of Picture(s).
**-Special thanks to Jeff's Jaguar Jungle for use of Picture.
----Everything else originally scanned/shot/recorded by and for AtariVision/JagCube
-List of known problems, facts and differences with Jaguar VR HMD/Tracker(RED and BLUE)-


(1)Problem with IPD was not fixed. -(RED unit does have the IPD control but is internal, BLUE unit does have IPD control)
                              -(RED unit marked as an ATARI product, BLUE unit un-marked as an ATARI product.)
(2) Mic howlpound due to internal problems of circuits,..(later fixed with replacing specific resistors/jumpers) 
(3) RED HMD was Low Res; BLUE HMD was High Res.
(4) Calibration feature was removed from final Missile Command 3D(VR), which creates jerkness with various user(s).
(5) Contrast/Backlight controls are not available (which gives a dark, hard to see image on LCD).
(6) Space Joystick is not known to work, no internal circuits/no software to support it.
(7) Weight of HMD is extremely too heavy to be worn for a extended amount of time. 
                                                   -(unless you enjoy stretch marks under your eyes? ;-)-
(8) Smaller tracking unit (presumed mock-ups) was to be used instead of the huge bulky tracking units we see/have now.
(9) A clear path MUST remain between headset and tracking unit, which would cause problems when using space joystick.
           -(put your hand out to shoot something with gun-would block IR transmission-which would interfere with tracking)-
(10) 3 modes are available to the HMD (USA, PAL, RGB??)
(11) Internal MIC is not installed on neither RED or BLUE headsets.
(12) Current design is faulty for normal opertaion. (Red face blocks IR transmission from base to headset, which casues loss of control)

-List of known Jaguar VR items that remain-

(1) 5 Tracker shells exist (large kind) (3 w/circuitry 2 w/o) 
(2) 4 Jaguar HMD's are known to exist, 2 RED units(1 w/circuitry 1 w/o) and 2 BLUE units(1 w/circuitry 1 w/o) 
(3) 2 Jaguar VR Space Joysticks exist. (mock-up) (one with 25-pin connector, one with 15-pin connector)
                                    -(the 15-pin is the correct connector for the tracking unit)
(4) 9 different sets of codes for the internal tracker exists.
   (Set#1, Set#2, Set#3, Set#6, Set#7, Set#13, Set#18, V1.0, V1.1, V1.2. V1.3) *Set#7 being the ONLY set that works*
(5) Pre-release MC:VR or 3D code (which may contain calibration features or debugging tools) exists.
(6) Original Missile Command VR manual (typed) exists.
(7) Set of cables for debug, code reading/writing exist.
(8) Set of original Jaguar VR logos exist.
(9) Controller board for Space Joystick (secondary tracking unit) exist. 
(10) Misc. resistors,fuses and other internal on-board (switchable) components for the internal HMD circuitry exist.
(11) Rub down graphics/transfers for prototyping exist. _originals_ (ATARI,JAGUAR,SENSOR,VRi)
 

Any questions or comments may be directed to: JagCube@yahoo.com



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