Google has not forgotten its low cost VR headset and will soon be offering an updated version of Google Cardboard for consumers. It will also be using the low cost of the the Cardboard VR headset to allow schools to take virtual reality field trips through its new Expeditions programme.
Anyone who has use Google Cardboard will know that it doesn’t work too well with larger smartphones; to make up for this, a new edition of the Cardboard headset has been designed to allow it to work with phones with 6-inch displays. It will also feature a new interface button to replace the sliding magnet in the original Cardboard, and the new button will also be made from cardboard. Google is expanding the Cardboard SDK to incorporate iOS as well, allowing developers to build Cardboard apps for iPhones as well.
Google Expeditions also allows schools to take field trips without leaving the classroom. The kit provides teachers with a set of Cardboard VR headsets, smartphones, and a single tablet for the teacher to assist in teaching. The idea is that children will learn better if they are able to see what the teacher is talking about. Google is working with Planetary Society, Palace of Versailles, and the US Museum of Natural History to provide content for Google Expeditions
