LEEP Systems
| LEEP Systems | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Virtual Reality, Head-mounted display |
| Founded | 1991, Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Founder | Eric Howlett |
| Headquarters | Boston area, Massachusetts, United States |
| Notable Personnel | Eric Mayorga Howlett (Founder, Inventor) Alex Howlett (Son, Engineer) |
| Products | LEEP Optical System Cyberface Cyberface2 Cyberface3 Cyberface4 Virtual Orbiter |
| Website | leepvr.com |
LEEP Systems, Inc. was an American technology company founded in 1991 by inventor Eric Howlett that specialized in the development and manufacture of virtual reality and telepresence systems. The company was primarily known for its LEEP optical system and the Cyberface line of head-mounted displays (HMDs), which were among the first commercially available virtual reality headsets and featured some of the widest fields of view in the industry at the time.
History
Origins and Founding
LEEP Systems had its origins in the earlier work of Eric Mayorga Howlett, who invented the Large Expanse, Extra Perspective (LEEP) optical system in 1979. [1] Prior to founding LEEP Systems, Howlett operated a proprietorship called POP-OPTIX LABS from 1980 to 1990, which provided consulting services and manufactured custom optical and electronic devices.[2]
The LEEP optical system was a breakthrough in wide-angle stereoscopic optics that created a convincing sense of depth and immersion through an extremely wide field of view. The original LEEP system was redesigned for NASA's Ames Research Center in 1985 for their first virtual reality installation, the VIEW (Virtual Interactive Environment Workstation) by Scott Fisher. :antCitation[]{citations="814ea80e-8541-4089-ac89-b3bc32eca910"}
After seeing the potential of his optical system in virtual reality applications, Howlett formally established LEEP Systems, Inc. in 1991 to market wide angle telepresence and virtual reality systems for research and for medical and military purposes. :antCitation[]{citations="d42dff49-3edf-4269-886a-451430ab34ff"} The company built upon the technology that had already been used by NASA and other organizations throughout the 1980s.
Early Products and Development
Before LEEP Systems was formally incorporated, Howlett had already begun developing VR hardware through his POP-OPTIX LABS business. In March 1989, with the release of the original LEEP Cyberface, Eric Howlett became the first to offer a commercial head-mounted display. :antCitation[]{citations="0ed97f37-183c-42e4-9f87-3398b4d39f84"} The original Cyberface technology was similar to that used in NASA's "VIEWS" (Virtual Interface Environment Work Station).
The company's innovation was grounded in Howlett's earlier work developing a wide-angle stereoscopic photography system. In 1978, he invented a system that corrected as much as possible the perspective distortions that may arise when expanding the field of view, allowing static images to be converted to 3D effects. :antCitation[]{citations="13cc0a10-956d-4df0-a59c-c794cb955087"} This invention received a patent in 1983 and became the foundation for LEEP's later virtual reality products.
NASA and Early Adoption
Since 1985, NASA and VPL had been using the wide-angle LEEP viewing lenses in various head-mounted display projects. :antCitation[]{citations="0e600f34-6ef3-4675-bc6a-39992b1b1bbc"} In 1988, NASA and a sensory research group at MIT tasked Pop-Optix Labs with designing very wide-angle LEEP format lenses for video cameras, which made wide-angle telepresence possible.
The LEEP optical system became highly influential in the early VR industry, with numerous organizations adopting the technology. The LEEP viewing optics were used in theme park attractions and in almost all of the VR headsets sold in the 1980s.[3]
Products
LEEP Optical System
The LEEP (Large Expanse, Extra Perspective) optical system was the company's fundamental technology. It provided an extremely wide field of view stereoscopic image that created a convincing sense of depth and immersion. The system was particularly notable for its ability to correct distortions that typically occurred in wide-angle viewing systems.
This optical system became the basis for most modern virtual reality headsets. By the late 1980s, the LEEP system provided the basis for most of the modern virtual reality headsets. :antCitation[]{citations="0a8fc790-289b-4293-bdf9-ad35daea56be"}
Cyberface Series
The Cyberface line represented LEEP Systems' primary commercial products:
Original Cyberface
Released in March 1989, the original Cyberface was the first commercial head-mounted display from LEEP Systems. It utilized the LEEP optical system to provide a wide field of view and convincing sense of immersion.
Cyberface2
Released in February 1991, the Cyberface2 was a significant advancement over the original model. The Cyberface2 was a general-purpose head-mounted display system that used two 4-inch diagonal high-resolution colour LCD video panels for extremely wide-angle stereoscopic Virtual Reality. :antCitation[]{citations="ee375528-6276-42b4-9eea-ce31c9ac7ef6"}
The Cyberface2 had the following specifications:
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | Two 4-inch diagonal color LCD panels |
| Resolution | 479 × 234 elements (per eye) |
| Field of view | 140° horizontal with LEEP optics |
| Weight | 1927 g (67.97 oz) |
| Video input | NTSC, PAL, or RGB |
| Cost at launch | $8,100 (August 1992) |
| Notable features | Included a counterbalance worn on the front of the body |
The Cyberface2 was LEEP Systems' first complete colour system and the first LCD-based system to offer true RGB colour for enhanced colour crispness. :antCitation[]{citations="465edd80-22c9-4981-ac2e-10b8127505e6"} It offered an immersive experience that was unmatched by competitors at the time.
Cyberface3
The Cyberface3 continued the evolution of LEEP's head-mounted display technology, with improvements to the resolution, picture quality, and overall usability of the system. It maintained the extremely wide field of view that was characteristic of LEEP products.
Cyberface4 and Virtual Orbiter
Created in 1996, the fourth incarnation of the Cyberface system, the Virtual Orbiter, convincingly delivered the effect of floating through space as an untethered spacewalker. :antCitation[]{citations="334bb44d-2cb9-4554-9956-cd8316285f41"} The Cyberface4 formed the nucleus of this device, offering higher resolution than its predecessor, the Cyberface3.
Technology
LEEP Optics
The LEEP optical system was revolutionary in its approach to wide-angle viewing. The combined system gave a very wide field of view stereoscopic image. The users of the system have been impressed by the sensation of depth in the scene and the corresponding realism. :antCitation[]{citations="8e1af561-ec66-449a-9614-03bf1483b8dd"}
The key innovation in the LEEP system was its approach to handling distortion. Rather than trying to eliminate distortion entirely (which would be optically impossible at such wide angles), Howlett's system introduced deliberate aberrations in the camera lenses that would counteract the aberrations required in the viewer to achieve an extremely wide field. This approach allowed for a much more natural and immersive viewing experience.
Head-Mounted Display Design
LEEP Systems' head-mounted displays featured several innovative design elements:
- Wide field of view (up to 140° horizontal) that was unmatched by competitors
- RGB color in later models for enhanced visual quality
- Stereoscopic 3D viewing for depth perception
- Head tracking in some models
- Counterbalance systems to make the heavy headsets more comfortable to wear
Legacy and Influence
LEEP Systems played a crucial role in the early development of virtual reality technology. The LEEP optical system became the basis for most modern VR headsets, and the company's commercial products helped demonstrate the potential of virtual reality beyond research laboratories.
The wide field of view achieved by LEEP optics remained influential for decades. Palmer Luckey's first Oculus prototype in 2011 adopted the LEEP lens design. :antCitation[]{citations="50aaeda8-217d-4199-b4cb-095d74060a51"} This connection shows the direct lineage from LEEP's early work to modern VR systems like the Oculus Rift.
After Eric Howlett's passing in December 2011, his son Alex Howlett continued working with LEEP technology, attempting to market it to the gaming community.[4]
See Also
References
- ↑ Carlson, Wayne (2005). "Description of LEEP optical system and its significance to VR". Ohio State University. Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "Howlett1" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Wikipedia. "Eric Howlett biography and career timeline". Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "Howlett2" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Wikipedia. "Eric Howlett's LEEP technology adoption in the 1980s". Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "Howlett3" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ High Tech History. "Continuation of LEEP technology after Eric Howlett's passing". Cite error: Invalid
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