Kiosk for automated wireless casting of immersive content

Hardware and software setup for automated wireless casting of immersive content.

The problem: trainers constantly run into trouble casting a standalone virtual reality headset during lessons or workshops. Headsets usually require either a Google TV with internet access, or a smart TV plus a Meta / Pico account set up on the headset and a phone app. The technical side is not insurmountable, since a hotspot from the trainer's phone usually solves the problem, but the mental load involved keeps the trainer from running the lesson comfortably.

The proposal: build a kiosk that can be configured to measure (hence a cost ranging from €150 to €700) using a recycled screen (a 5:4 monitor, common in our schools) and a microcontroller, to rebroadcast a user's virtual reality view.

How it works: inside the kiosk, a Raspberry Pi 4 running Android 13 runs a Unity application that decodes the trainer's view and displays it on the 5:4 HDMI screen, with a nano router providing the wireless link. On the headsets (VR) or phones (AR), the Unity application contains the learning module and, on the trainer's side, the view encoder. The kiosk's base doubles as secure storage and a charging station for the VR headsets.

Benefits:

• Automatic VR headset detection
• Automatic start-up: plug the kiosk in and it switches on and configures itself in 1 minute
• Low cost, adaptable to any school budget
• Easy, portable installation