Google Cardboard came out as a low cost VR platform from Google in 2014 which uses your own an Android Cellphone as the main unit and splits the view for each eye by using lenses to focus on each half of the phone screen. I saw this is as a great Do-It-Yourself project to create my own VR Headset for cheap!

At the time, online vendors were selling Google Cardboard kits for $20-$30 for these. I knew I could do this cheaper and better for myself.

I decided to call this project Beer Goggles VR.

Bill of Materials:

$0 – Cardboard. After hosting a board game night, we had the box case for a 24 pack of Coronas Beer. This cardboard material was much denser than the recommended pizza box cardboard which should provide a less flimsy experience.

$1.50 – Magnifying jewelry lenses from Daiso. The lenses required are bifocal lenses which these were in order to zoom in on half of the screen. These were the pefect substitute for that and comes with 2 lenses.

$1.50 – Velcro Straps from Daiso. The original Google Cardboard design does not have anything to hold the unit in place except your hands. I modified the cutout to fit the straps on the ends of the phone. This also gave several other advantages to the original design. The Straps prevent the phone from slipping out. They also keep the phone in place without your hands to improve immersion. With free hands now, you can use a controller with your game or application or just more easily access the magnetic button without stretching your fingers while u hold something else.

$1.50 Strong Magnets from Daiso. This is for the magnetic slide button used for google cardboard. They are a set of flat circular magnets which is what this needs.

$0.50 washer. This is to keep the magnet on the unit.

Total Spent: $5

 

Original Google Cardboard instructions and cutouts are provided on this site.

https://vr.google.com/cardboard/get-cardboard/

The things I would watch out for are the size of the slits which depend on your cardboard thickness. They should be slightly thinner so you can create more tension for the cardboard to hold in place.

Also remember to add the addition for the straps on the sides of the holder.

Not shown in this design but I also have a jagged edge for the lens holder to make that piece adjustable since many people have slightly different eye focus points.

 

Overall I think this is a cheap entry point to introduce people into the world of VR which I highly recommend people to make themselves.