A VR HEADSET THAT CAN SPLIT IN HALF? LG PATENTS THE DESIGN

LG Electronics seems to be working on a new design for a virtual reality headset that will be capable of splitting in half with the help of a spring-loaded mechanism. The design was recently filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) but, as usual, there is no guarantee that the headset will become a real product. 

LG hasn't really been one of the most active companies in the virtual reality segment so far, at least as far as consumers are concerned, with its initial prototype, based in Valve's SteamVR tracking technology, having only been showcased at a couple of events throughout the year, including the more recent Korean VR Festival which took place in September. 

LG's new patent revolves around a different concept compared to the previous prototype, it seems to be capable of splitting in half between its dual displays using a spring-loaded mechanism. Presumably, the mechanism would be able to securely tighten the head strap for comfortable wearing, and because it lacks an additional strap at the top, the headset could also technically be rested on the user's neck when not in use. 

No hardware specifications have, unsurprisingly, been mentioned by the patent, so it is unclear whether this particular headset would take advantage of Valve's tracking technology employed by the HTC Vive, or rely on a different tracking solution altogether. 

LG is expected to unveil its fully-fledged consumer-grade VR headset at CES 2018 and it remains to be seen whether that device will feature a more unconventional design than what's currently available on the market. 

You can see the patent idea by LG in the image gallery above.