Of Mice and Apes

At Sensics, my company, we get our fair share of curious inquiries. It's one of the fun parts about this business: every day the phone rings with someone eager to use our panoramic head-mounted display for a unique application.

A few weeks ago, someone called to ask about the range of our IPD (Inter-Pupillary Distance). Just like binoculars the often allow you to adjust the distance between the eyepieces to accommodate different individuals, head-mounted displays allow the same.
- "55 to 72 mm", we said
- "can you do an IPD in the 30 mm range?", said the caller
- "???"
- "well, I want to use the HMD on apes"

Just a few weeks went by, and another person called. After discussing the merits of immersion - high resolution and panoramic field of view - the caller asked whether he can use the HMD on mice.
- "So you want to use the HMD on mice?"
- "Yes"
- "???"

The thought of a mice wearing an HMD triggered many interesting visuals. Maybe mice can also wear football helmets? Is there a market for mice-sized HMD?

As interesting as this proposed research might be, we're going to stick with providing human an unmatched visual experience.