[Q] What would make Google Cardboard rotate constantly?

[Rajinn]

I picked up a Google Cardboard for some fun, but the picture constantly rotates while trying to use it on my XZ. The axis of the rotation is that of going from portrait to landscape (Y axis??)

I've tested the accel, compass, and gyro using the service tests and they all seem to be fine. My XZ is completely stock and up-to-date (OTA).
Not sure what the problem could be? It works fine on my SGS5. I'd appreciate any feedback as the XZ looks and fits inside SO much cleaner than the SGS5, plus its not my daily driver so I won't have to take it out often.

I vaguely recall the same error happening on an app a long time ago, can't remember for the life of me what it was.

 

[Akinaro]

Hey. I also play with VR for almost month now(got two vr goggles with are WAY better lenses and quality than cardboard)

And also I have this problem of rotating screen. And to be honest its all depend on app and orientation provider. Most of the time app use indirect/direct sensor fusion but this method just suck...

I found only one solution for that and its to put phone on flat surface for few second with screen face up, and then phone calibrate sensor itself.
Of course its not helping for too long, but its always something...

My favorite VR game: Corridoom is best example for problem that we have.
Fast movement of device constantly move gyro starting point to one direction and when you sit in chair and look straight after a while you need to almost turn 180* because device lost this starting point. App does provide only simple calibration in main menu and Dev that I write about that said that for now its not gonna change this option.

So even if gyro in our xz is really accurate, because i use it as a VR goggles for PC gaming thanks to app Trinus VR
Only real solution for that is actual app that have option to block or reset roll effect. For example my main movie app for watching VR movies Cardboard Theater have such option and for most of time I dont have this problem when I watch movies.

I also tested it via service tests and you can see this problem, when you start app and this Rubik's cube is faced to you green move phone right and left and after few moves its not facing green, but red or blue... And for that app should have that option to reset yaw and roll when you stop moving, but for now most of devs that create VR apps and games just dont think to put such options.

And its not only XZ problem I tested it with galaxy S5 and galaxy Grand Prime and its also have that problem but not that often, mostly when I move my head very fast or for too long, screen start rotating.


maybe it would be possible to fix that in device it self to reset that roll effect but I dont think that anyone with knowledge would like to check that... :/

 

[Rajinn]

Trackers are pretty sensitive without some kind of reference point such as a camera. I expect a small amount of bias error over a duration, but using cardboard movie theater the screen turns 180 degrees (roll) in less than 10 seconds. The sensor tests are nowhere near as inaccurate.

Obviously any phone will have the issue over time though, they are cheap parts in small housing. There's multi thousand dollar systems with small degree of wander that are only IMUs. It's the severe amount the xz has that bugs me.

I'll try the laying it flat so it can reset its bias, might work. I noticed yesterday that when facing west it wasnt half as bad.

If you were actually able to enjoy a movie without locking the orientation then yours is far better than mine. My sgs5 I might have to adjust the orientation once every 30 minutes, the xz I have to reset it every seconds lmao.

Thank you for the input!

update:
Letting the bias adjust helped immensely. Thanks for the advice!

 

[andiste]

Hi did u manage to sort it out. I have xperia z and have same problem. I can play some games but everytime i use 'view in cardboard ' on youtube the screens spin, also when i use googke cardboard apps. Maby its a google problem and not our phones? Like you iv testedband recalibrated my phone byt to no avail
If you got it fixed giz a shout mate
Cheers