Details: The first product from Liquid Image was the MRG2, was a monocular HMD that used a 5.7″ diagonal colour TFT-LCD. After conducting ergonomic research on head sizes at the University of Manitoba and evaluating market potential the MRG2 was created as a universal fit design. Within 15 months Liquid Image had sold more than $1.1 million of MRG2 units at a price of $6800 per HMD. The design won the 1994 Mecklermedia Virtual Reality award. Jaron Lanier, a VR pioneer, commented that year at a tradeshow where the founders met him that he liked the monocular design of the MRG2. He also commented that he would have created a monocular system at VPL Research if a suitable display had been available.
Liquid Image MRG2.2 Specs and Info…
Headset: Liquid Image MRG2.2 (MMAC Plus)
Manufacturer: Liquid Image
Announced Date: January 1993
Release Date: November 1993
Launch Price: $6800 (£5,694)
Device Type: VR Headset (PC Powered)
Display: 5.7″ Diagonal Colour TFT-LCD at 240 X 240 (Per eye)
Diagonal Field of View(FOV): 84°
Refresh Rate: 30 Hz
Weight: 725 g (1.6 lb)
CPU: N/A
GPU: N/A
Battery: N/A
Tracking: 3 DoF Non-positional (Gyroscope Based)
Controllers: Unknown
Our Thoughts: The MRG2.2 made by Liquid Image was widely considered to be the best of the bunch. There was an MRG2, MRG3C and MRG4 headset but the original headset is considered to be their best. Despite showcasing lots of headset at trade shows since the company formed in 1992 it wasn’t until 1996 that they made commercially available displays.
The MRG2.2 was aimed at becoming a testing station for the virtual reality games industry in the 1990’s. At 84 degrees it also had a really wide FOV but a surprisingly low resolution. It was also renowned for putting all the heavy guts of the HMD in the nose end of the headset making it front heavy. But having said that it was also described as one of the most comfortable HMD’s of it’s time (all be a little nose heavy) but in the end the low tech really let it down and besides it was also coming to the end of the VR hype era anyway.
Sources used…
[https://mvrtifacts.ecwid.com/Liquid-Image-MRG2-2-Head-Mounted-Display-p310067]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_Image]