Buying FPV goggles can cost anywhere from $600 USD to $1000 and most of the time, using FPV goggles will not allow you to control the drone with your body motion like you can do by following this tutorial.

This is a cheap solution and are way more immersive than FPV goggles because you can move your body and head around and have the drone rotate and the camera move up and down in response to your body motion. It really feels as though you are up in the sky with the ability to move around in free space. All the 3D motions are available on both flying platforms, all phantom 3 models and the Inspire 1.

Where to get a VR headset:

You can get any VR headset on ebay. They go as cheap as 2$! My headset was 11$ including shipping. If you really want, you can spring for a higher quality headset from Samsung for 100$

Check headsets out here:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR12.TRC2.A0.H0.Xgoogle+cardboard.TRS0&_nkw=google+cardboard&_sacat=0

What else do you need?

The only thing you will need is an app from the Play store or App store called 3D FPV by Visual Vertigo. There are a few other apps but in my experience none of them work as well as 3D FPV. This one gives you an eye popping 3D effect when you fly sideways that makes cars and other objects pop out into your face...its so awesome!

IOS: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/ ... r/id1008155528?mt=8

Android: https://play.google.com/store/ap ... igo.threedfpv&hl=en

The app goes for $20 USD but there is a less expensive option that lacks the 3D.

In my opinion, don't chicken out on the 3D, its really spectacular.

How to set it up:

Once you have the VR goggles and the app, start your remote, then aircraft. Plug in your device and launch the app. Make sure you are connected to the internet for first launch as the DJI SDK has to verify through DJI's server, usually in 3rd part apps.

Once you have video feed, click options and turn head tracking on. Make sure you calibrate the compass by flipping the function switch on the remote 6-9 times until the lights turn yellow on the aircraft.

Once you take off, put on your headset. (make sure you have a spotter)

You can toggle the C1 switch to view the camera on the phone so you know where you are stepping and C2 to take a 3D screen shot. To view aircraft stats, look into the sky or point your head up. For the best 3D, make sure you are flying sideways. When you are ready, switch your controller into F mode. Now you can move around and your aircraft will rotate with you as you move your body and you will be able to look up and down. Note that when in F mode, you wont be able to move that sticks until you switch out. However, CSC command will still work so be careful!

A short note:

Before you turn away, keep in mind that to get the same experience you would have to spend a minimum of $600 on cheap fpv goggles and $99 on the  HDMI module. With method, you get pretty much the same effect for way under 100$, more realistically, 25 or 30$. My setup was 31$ but that's because I went with a more expensive VR headset compared to what else was out there. After this experience, I'm going to definitely get the Samsung Oculous Rift.

You wont be disappointed!

Happy Flying!

-Michael

-

I am SO glad to see you do this write up on VR goggles...I was formulating a similar one...especially going with 3d FPV over Litchi.  3d FPV is FAR SUPERIOR just on the head tracking alone...I'll paste a link below to compare.  VR head tracking was a dream of mine when I first saw it on a Gunship back in the 80's.  It was first seen on Apache's, so I cannot believe we have the ability now to use while flying.  It literrally puts you in the pilots seat...not the gunners seat.

Head Tracking in Action:
https://fat.gfycat.com/QueasyWhoppingAfricanharrierhawk.mp4

Here is my Setup:
VR HEADSET
I used a Headset called VR Box that has adjustable lenses forward/back/left/right, which is a huge plus when shopping for these as alot are fixed lenses, which means you are stuck and no focal ability obviously.  I use the Galaxy S6 and dont plan on going to an S7 anytime soon...and it works flawlessly.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019ML42FG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00

FLYING APP
I used 3D FPV as well and have purchased all of them.  Litchi has some better features for waypoints and mission planning, and Autpopilot is nice also, with more features, but 3D FPV is where it's at, hands down when doing head tracking displays.  Check out the comparison and remember, I was doing diaganols in both apps with my head tracking, so take note on how jumpy Litchi is compared to the smootheness of 3D FPV as the codec he's writing is amazing:

3D FPV:



and....


LITCHI:



If you can put them side by side, it's unreal how much more smooth 3D FPV is.  If you're doing any 3D video, it's pretty easy to convert and then watch on your 3D TV...which you do any close quarter flying, the 3D turns out AMAZEBALLS!  
The guy who develops it is in Austria and a really nice guy.  I've exchanged a few emails with him congratulatiing him on his amazing app/video.

Do you guys know which google setup is suitable for the Iphone 6+

Harb Posted at 2016-3-5 23:38
Do you guys know which google setup is suitable for the Iphone 6+

Same exact thing...i use my iPad Air 2 64gb when I want to have a fixed display.  If they made a Air Pad 2 VR setup, I'd use that as the video is so much smoother on the iPhone or iPad...but I stuck with Samsung for the Phone portion as Apple restricted my ability to view local content without importing it and uploading it to the iTunes cloud.  That sealed the deal with me as in the field I can swap out SD cards in a heart beat and see how something I just shot looks.  Apple completely lost my phone business with that and barely kept me as a customer if their video wasn't so amazing.  It's insane they did that as people on data plans would chew up so much of their data just to be able to see their own videos.  So many people have been doing a mass exodus at work because of this.

Anyhoot...here it is on iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ ... r/id1008155528?mt=8

I1ADDICT Posted at 2016-3-5 23:27
I am SO glad to see you do this write up on VR goggles...I was formulating a similar one...especiall ...

wow awesome! The only problem for head tracking is that the gyro readings from andorid (what the dev told me) is not strong enouph so  my drone gets confused when i move left or right and it sucks...

Michael M Posted at 2016-3-5 23:49
wow awesome! The only problem for head tracking is that the gyro readings from andorid (what the de ...

also, my goggles are super cheap so its pretty blury at times so im prob gonna upgrade to an oculous. But first im going to ask my eye doctor if spending too much time staring at a screen so close to your face in a vr headset will wreck your eyes...I usually fly with my ipad.

Michael M Posted at 2016-3-5 23:49
wow awesome! The only problem for head tracking is that the gyro readings from andorid (what the de ...

Did you get artifacting on the droid or ???  I had the issue for a few, but it seems to have cleared up and last I spoke with the dev, he was working on the artifacting issue.  I just got my quad back, so I haven't had a chance to check the update he just put out a couple of weeks ago.

I am SO GLAD you wrote this...really Michael, this is the future for sure and it's awesome to see someone else promoting 3D FPV over Litchi...I always felt like the lone voice.

I1ADDICT Posted at 2016-3-5 23:55
Did you get artifacting on the droid or ???  I had the issue for a few, but it seems to have clear ...

glad you enjoyed Hopefully dji will feature the article on the main page like they did with my last tutorial.
Sorry I dont really understand, what is artifacting? When i turn my head, the drone gets confused and starts juggling back and forth. But the gimbal works. Im using a p3 so its a bit different than your I would guess.

I1ADDICT Posted at 2016-3-6 15:45
Same exact thing...i use my iPad Air 2 64gb when I want to have a fixed display.  If they made a Ai ...

Cheers, I just downloaded it....

Main thing though is what physical setup fits the extra size of the Iphone 6+ .......its a big lump of a thing.

Michael M Posted at 2016-3-5 23:50
also, my goggles are super cheap so its pretty blury at times so im prob gonna upgrade to an oculou ...

Yeah, that's what I heard happened to some people, especially if they wear glasses + fixed lenses you can't slide.  That's why I went with the VR Box as a lot of people complained about the focus issue with fixed lenses.  If you can muster the 30 bucks, the VR Box eliminates the blur problem you're getting as you can adjust them.  

Harb Posted at 2016-3-5 23:58
Cheers, I just downloaded it....

Main thing though is what physical setup fits the extra size of  ...

congrats! enjoy and let us know

I1ADDICT Posted at 2016-3-6 00:05
Yeah, that's what I heard happened to some people, especially if they wear glasses + fixed lenses y ...

have you heard anything about the oculous? I already just found out I need glasses from using so many screens I dont want to ruin my eyes further.

Harb Posted at 2016-3-5 23:58
Cheers, I just downloaded it....

Main thing though is what physical setup fits the extra size of  ...

Awesome...and yes, please let us know!  If you hit any snags, PM me...I got it all worked out pretty good no matter what platform you're using.

All good.....just brought a pair of VR Box Version 2 from Ebay........ very keen to see how they go

Michael M Posted at 2016-3-6 00:08
have you heard anything about the oculous? I already just found out I need glasses from using so m ...

Oh yeah, I am eagerly awaiting it.  I have a PS4 as well, so I am pretty excited for the Sony VR...but Oculus on the PC looks amazing as well.  
I hear you about screen time...so yeah, make sure your eyes are healthy before you do anything.  Of all the senses, my eyesight is one I couldn't live without.

I1ADDICT Posted at 2016-3-6 00:21
Oh yeah, I am eagerly awaiting it.  I have a PS4 as well, so I am pretty excited for the Sony VR.. ...

How do you like vr box? I've heard some pretty bad reviews on it. Can you see the walls of the inside?

Great topic, Mike!  The only thing i'd ask you to do is to get rig of that last link of skytopics so we don't count it as an advertisement

Michael M Posted at 2016-3-6 09:34
How do you like vr box? I've heard some pretty bad reviews on it. Can you see the walls of the ins ...

Yeah, you can see the inside of most of them.  I like VR box because of the adjustable lenses...they really make it look nice and sharp.  What I don't like is that the Google Cardboard button doesn't get detected occassionally and I have to take off the unit and my phone, press it and then put it back together really quick.  It's a pain, but not too bad and I've gotten pretty quick at it.  It's amazing just to use this technology.  Blows me away everytime.  3D FPV is nuts smooth, I want everyone to see this, it's that good you guys.
Today I had the best experience in high winds.  That quad handles amazing and using that dang thing was like sitting there and I had no idea the wind was that bad.  I was jamming around to some AC/DC and just loving the HUD...looking around with my head is unreal cool.  I see good things for this summer and am so excited.

DJI-Tim Posted at 2016-3-6 20:09
Great topic, Mike!  The only thing i'd ask you to do is to get rig of that last link of skytopics so ...

Done.        

I1ADDICT Posted at 2016-3-7 00:17
Yeah, you can see the inside of most of them.  I like VR box because of the adjustable lenses...the ...

That's awesome but the only thing I don't Ike is 720 p  is not that clear sometimes

Stupid question, Are all the vr set ups 720

Michael M Posted at 2016-3-7 08:01
That's awesome but the only thing I don't Ike is 720 p  is not that clear sometimes

Yeah, I hear ya.  Its hard to go back to 720p when we get spoiled by 4k or even 1080p.  Amazing how fast certain things have came.

BIGDZ Posted at 2016-3-7 08:47
Stupid question, Are all the vr set ups 720

That's not a stupid question brother, we're all here to help eachother.  My VR Box displays what your phone displays...it just magnifies it and breaks it up into 2 images to accommodate the Google Cardboard.  When flying, the FPS DJI puts out is only in 720p with an options to change the refresh from 50hz to 60hz. I can't tell a difference when switching between refresh rates, so I just leave it at 50hz.  Either way, the head tracking is unreal.  Check out my videos above to see both of them in action...and you'll see 3D FPV is alot better.

I1ADDICT Posted at 2016-3-7 15:39
That's not a stupid question brother, we're all here to help eachother.  My VR Box displays what y ...

After reading this thread  ,I figured I'd like to experience flying my i1 and p3a this way, and you can't beat the price point.

Thank you everyone for sharing your  experiences with this type of set up.

I'll report back on mine as soon as I get it in...

Michael M Posted at 2016-3-7 23:00
Done.

Thank you!

Just thought I would bring this back up.....

Finally got my VR Box googles the other day.....haven't tried them with the inspire yet, but I did look at some 3D content and they are awesome......
They are Version 2 units , not sure if that makes a difference, but my iPhone 6 Plus fits in them perfectly with no outside light coming in at all......they have adjustable lenses that move sideways and in and out, so I don't need to wear glasses, and the images look awesome compared to my other googles..... Cinemizers, Fat Shark v2 HD , Head Plays etc etc.....they are winners at a mere $40 odd bucks Australian.
Can hardly wait to give them a go over the weekend with the 3D app and the bird......

i got a cheap set of "incredisonic vue series" for $50 from micro center.  They have plastic lenses and there is a lot of glare on the lenses, no mater how many times i clean them.

I got the "FPV Camera" app by solomon mobile and it looks really good.  Looks very similar to the dji go app which I like.  Only problem is the video cuts out and stutters a lot, even at close range.  (i have a p3p by the way).

I'm very nervous about 3rd party apps, always afraid they will randomly crash.  I always set the RTH altitude and homepoint before I take off, but I'm worried the app will do something crazy and make it fly off or something.  

I'm still considering getting the HDMI module and a pair of fatsharks so I can use the DJI go app.  I would just feel safer.  I looked at reviews on the 3D FPV app you guys are talking about and there were a lot of complaints about it crashing.  That makes me really nervous about spending $20 on it.  Anyone had any problems with it?

Also, the main thing I use my phantom for is photography, and the camera setting control on the FPV camera app are minimal, rendering it useless for my purpose.  How are the controls in 3D FPV?

And lastly, I didn't see any screen shots for the app showing any map shots.  Is the map displayed?  that's a must for me to keep track of where my drone is at all times since I can't see it.

Thanks!

Let me know how you get on, I have the v1 of these. Never used them

I had a bit of an issue at work, so I am  yet to try them.......will give it another go during the week

Had a busy weekend and I'm just now getting back to the forums.  please check my post above under the first post on how to set everything up.  if you have any questions at all please hit me up I know I could save you guys a lot of time. in answer to your question, the 3D FPV has a take picture button as well a switch modes button (C1 and C2) you however can program whatever you'd like.  head tracking is one thing you have to remember so when you turn it on  make sure that the headset is level or it will start looking down. so what I like to do is just set it level on a bench or my seat or something, so as soon as I tap head tracking enabled, it's going to stay straight and not point down.
anyways please hit me up if you guys have any questions, I love it.  I used it the other day, it just sketches me out not been able to see around me at all. I feel like someone's gonna walk up and slug me . Lol

Wish they had a trial version for the app.
Just hate to drop the $28 yes I am Canadian for it and not be happy.

ckhallock Posted at 2016-3-20 07:03
i got a cheap set of "incredisonic vue series" for $50 from micro center.  They have plastic lenses  ...

No crashes for me so far. I think it really depends on your device prose sing power. I'm using a gs6. There is no map but I was told that the last few updates are working on fixing several issues.

06aeb11@gmail.c Posted at 2016-3-22 06:43
Wish they had a trial version for the app.
Just hate to drop the $28 yes I am Canadian for it and no ...

I had them adjust the price for us Canadians should be the same as US last time I checked

By the way thanks everyone for the support. Be sure to Cheka out our site for many more tutorials just like this one.

Www.Skytopics.com

I1ADDICT Posted at 2016-3-21 18:51
Had a busy weekend and I'm just now getting back to the forums.  please check my post above under t ...

I took your advice and got myself one of those VR Box headsets, it's fit for purpose and being able to adjust it was good. Did you have any problems with setting it up? It seems no matter how I do it, it's blurry. I tried closing one eye and setting each lens to be in focus but then when I open both eyes it doesn't seem right and no amount of moving the lenses left and right seems to fix it.

Also, do you get any drift issues with 3D FPV? Which phone do you use for it? I've had constant drift issues (moving very slowly left) in all the Cardboard/VR apps I've tried and after doing some reading it seems more of them use the same API and suffer from it but the latest Cardboard API has, "Sensor Fusion" which apparently fixes that... So, does 3D FPV have that fix?

Their app says

(head tracking has been removed due to a DJI SDK 3.1 bug and we are waiting for DJI to fix it in order to re enable this feature)

Has it been fixed and is Head tracking  enabled?

jfro Posted at 2016-3-23 12:07
Their app says

(head tracking has been removed due to a DJI SDK 3.1 bug and we are waiting for DJI ...

I don't believe so as of yet.

Michael M Posted at 2016-3-23 12:04
I had them adjust the price for us Canadians  should be the same as US last time I checked

Still shows me $27.99 all good either way I'm in no rush as we got a nice ice storm, but honestly IMO and maybe just my own.
I prefer trials.

So many good apps out there and many have different uses so it's always good to have a trial run for 10-30 days and then make a purchase or not.

$28 or $20 is still nothing to sneeze at and I'm not asking them to make changes on my behalf. Nor saying the app is not worth the $20-28 price tag.

Yeah, at the current price I can't justify it. I don't know enough about it, information seems scarce and the 3D FPV app seems pretty basic right now so I'll give this a miss.


The headset seems to work ok with Litchi, anyway. Headtracking works but is a bit slow and has the same drift most other VR apps have when using a phone...

I hear ya brother...you gotta wait until you're ready.  For me, it was a no brainer as I have been waiting for this since I did VR Dactyl Nightmare back in what...92, 93?  So for me, it's a "shut up and take my money...I'll tell you which in is the best!!!!"
lol
But again brother, I am getting old, realize I can't take it with me now...have a great career and seem to burn 20's quicker than I should.  I am by no means rich, but I make a nice living in IT and have came into my F it stage of my older inner manchild. lol  

Either way, I think Litchi is more stable, but he did solve the artifacting issue on 3d FPV.  Reading the reviews they are way harsh on him and being in Software development for a loooong time, I can tell you he has a solid product.  Don't take it out of range until you know the software is stable, but man, this is some frontier cool shit here and I really want to be a part of it.  So keep pinging me for questions, and I'll let you know when it does this or that and/or I'll submit requests to Alex.  he's the nicest guy and I've exchanged many emails with him...so I know he takes all feedback to heart.

Anyways, happy/safe flying!!!