Do you know what IPD VR is?
Let’s find out.
What Is IPD VR?
Interpupillary Distance (IPD) refers to the distance between the centers of your eyes.
It’s important to understand your interpupillary distance (IPD) if you’re using a VR or AR headset. Headsets can be set to match your IPD, which means they’ll provide a better viewing experience for you.
IPD
Interpupillary Distance (IPD) refers to the distance between the centers of your eyes. It’s important to know your IOD when it comes to VR and AR headsets because they can be adjusted to fit your IOD for optimal image quality and comfort.
It’s important to know your interpupillary distance (IPD) because it helps determine which headset is best suited for your eyes.
Fortunately, there are easy ways to measure your IPD if your device has an updated operating system, or you can use one of several simple measurements.
EyeMeasure
EyeMeasure is an iOS application that measures your interpupillary distance (IPD) using the TrueDepth camera on Apple devices running iOS 11.0 or later.
It then displays the result in millimeters. You can configure the headset for either near vision or far vision by selecting the appropriate option from the dropdown menu.
Ways to Measure Your IPD
Here are ways you can measure your IPD.
Ask Your Eye Doctor
Your best option for measuring your interpupillary distance (IPD) is by going to see an optometrist or ophthalmologist.
If you’ve already seen one when you were younger, your doctor may have an accurate measurement on record. Ask him or her to measure your IPD in millimeters.
If you’re under age 20 and haven’t seen an eye doctor for more than one year, you might want to schedule an appointment to make sure you have current measurements.
Online IPD Measure Tool
You can use a web-based IPD measurement app like this one from Ace&Tate to get an accurate reading.
You’ll be asked to take a picture of yourself holding any standard-sized magnetic strip cards (credit cards or driver’s licenses). These cards will be used to determine the correct size of the measuring tape.
Use a Mirror
You can use a measuring tape and a mirror to measure your interpupillary distance (IPD).
- Stand in front of the mirror and place a ruler under your eyes so that its edge runs directly beneath both your pupils.
- Look straight into your left eyeball. Place the 0 mark under the center of your left iris. Keep the marker still for the next step
- Look straight into your right pupil. The mark directly under the center of your right pupillary is your inter-papillary distance.
Ask a Friend
Do you want to be a vampire without any need for a mirror in your home? Ask someone who has a steady grip to hold a straight edge under your eyes.
When looking directly at an object, look straight ahead and tell your friend to place the “0’ mark at the center of one eye and then measure the distance between the two pupils. That measurement is your interpupillary distance (IPD).
It’s also a good way to test whether someone has experience using VR before you show them something new.
Eyeball It
If you don’t want to spend too much time aligning your headset, then this might be the best solution for you. It only requires a simple calibration procedure.
- When wearing the Oculus Rift, keep your non-dominant (left) eyes closed. Then, when looking at something sharp, use your dominant right eye to focus on it.
- Start by gradually increasing the IPD setting until you reach the point where you feel comfortable with the image quality. You may need to experiment a bit before finding the right IPD setting for you.
It is best to use one eye at a time for this exercise.
What is IPD VR?
Why Correctly Setting Your IPD is Important in a VR or AR Headset
Trick our brain into thinking we’re seeing something else by feeding our eyes images that closely match how we see the real thing.
It means ensuring that the photos are correctly aligned with each person’s eyes, just like adjusting the focus of a set of binoculars.
Sense of 3D Depth and Scale
Because we always see the real word through our own eyes, having good eye-tracking accuracy is important for matching our innate sense of three-dimensional (3D) depth and scale.
If the IPD (interpupillary distance) of your headset is not correctly set, the scale of your virtual world may seem slightly off.
Software IPD Adjustment
If a particular pair of headphones doesn’t have an adjustable IPD setting, then you may be able to adjust the sense of size by using the software IPD adjustment instead. You’ll need to know your own IPD (in millimeters) to set this correctly.
Maximizing Image Quality
Setting the right IPD (interpupillary distance) is also very important for optimizing image clarity in VR and AR headsets, so be sure to measure yours correctly before starting.
Optical Center
Most headsets have optical centers which are optimized for the best clarity and field of view.
If the center of the eyes isn’t aligned with the optical center of your lenses, you won’t get that maximum clarity and range of vision. Such misalignment can cause a significant loss in visual acuity.
Digital Readouts
Fortunately, most headsets have physical IPD (interpupillary) adjustments which let you adjust the spacing between the lenses so they’re aligned with the optical centers of your eyes.
Most major headphones with physical IPD adjustments include digital displays that show your current IPD in millimeters. You can use these to adjust your IPD.
Conclusion
In summary, knowing your IPD and setting it correctly is important for achieving the best visual experience and comfort in any headset.
And if your measured IPD is an outlier, you should make sure your headset of choice can accommodate your IPD; a headset with a physical IPD adjustment will support a much wider range of IPD measurements.
If you have any questions feel free to comment below.