By now you’ve probably heard of virtual reality (VR) or even experienced it yourself. Many high-end VR sets provide an amazing VR experience but they’ll also empty your bank account. Fortunately there’s an easier and cheaper way to experience VR: make a VR viewer yourself! Recently, the library hosted 2 programs where we taught people how to make a VR viewer out of scrap cardboard with a few other inexpensive materials that you use in conjunction with apps on your smartphone. The design of this viewer is based on Google Cardboard, which is a premade VR viewer made out cardboard that you can purchase from Google. But where’s the fun in that if you can make one yourself? Here's how to make your own!

• Get some scrap cardboard, not too thick or rigid. You’ll need to bend it. The top of a pizza box usually provides the perfect amount of cardboard and is thin enough to bend easily but still sturdy.
• Purchase some lenses from Amazon.
• Some other basic supplies you’ll also need include a glue stick, scissors, and x-acto knife (or razor blade or cutter).
• Download the template, instructions, and material list from this website.

A couple of notes:

• A pizza-cutter or ruler works great to pre-score the bends in your cardboard.
• Packing tape works great for reinforcing the glued pieces on the frame of your viewer.
• The conductive touch-screen button is purely optional. We had mixed results with it. Plus, there’s a ton of fun apps that don’t require touching the screen to activate anything.
• To find cool, free VR apps, simply search for “free vr” in the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
• If your phone has a protective case, you’ll probably have to take it off in order for the phone to fit in the viewer.

Have fun and see you at the library!