Pimax

Key takeaways

Pimax belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Pimax to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Pimax from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Pimax Innovation Inc. is a technology company specializing in virtual reality hardware products. Pimax Technology was founded in November 2015. In 2016 its first product, the Pimax 4K virtual reality headset, was released, becoming the first commercially available headset with a combined (left + right eye) 4K resolution. The Pimax 4K virtual reality headset was recognized as the best VR product in Asia at CES 2016. In 2017, they ran a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter for the Pimax 8K headset, raising approximately $4.2 million, which held the Guinness World Record for the most successful crowdfunded VR project. On 19 December 2017, Pimax announced they had closed a $15 million series A funding round. On 8 January 2020, Pimax's flagship headset – the world's first dual native 4K consumer VR headset – Vision 8K X, featuring high resolution and ultra-wide field of view, 200°(D)/170°(H)/115°(V), was selected as Top Tech of CES: AR/VR by Digital Trends. On 18 October 2020, Pimax received $20M (USD) series B funding round, announced at World Conference on VR Industry (WCVRI) 2020.

Products

Pimax Technology Portfolio Pimax Technology LTD portfolio includes 15 patents, 6 trademarks and 9 software work certificates. In addition to the team's technical precipitation in the field of virtual reality and augmented reality technology and algorithm research for more than 10 years, it has maintained a position among VR headsets with high resolution for a long time.

Product comparison

Kickstarter era

Pimax 4K Released in 2016, the Pimax 4K was Pimax's first foray into the VR scene. It boasts a resolution of 1920×2160 per eye, for a combined total of 3840×2160 (thus the "4K" designation – though not full stereo 4K) running at a refresh rate of 60 Hz.

Pimax 8K The Pimax 8K is a virtual reality head-mounted display. It features two 4K displays, one for each eye, with an advertised field of view of 200 degrees. However, the Pimax 8K does not use the most common 8K resolution standard 8K UHD which contains four times as many pixels as 4K UHD. Since the Pimax 8K contains two 4K UHD displays, it only has half the number of pixels as that of 8K UHD. In addition, due to bandwidth limitations in the connection cable, the headset's input is limited to 2560×1440 for each of the displays. This is then upscaled in the device to the displays' actual resolution.

The company has announced that they are partnering with third parties to develop expansion modules for the headset. The expansion modules announced include features like inside-out tracking, eye tracking, wireless transmission, and scent. At CES2019 in January 2019, Pimax disclosed strategic partnerships respectively with Leap Motion and 7INVENSUN on the development of hand motion tracking module and eye tracking module. Leap Motion was acquired by UltraHaptics in May 2019 and a new company called Ultraleap was established. On the 26th of February, Pimax signed an agreement to offer Ultraleap hand tracking for its whole VR headset range with specifications including a stereoscopic IR camera that creates an interaction zone of up to 100 centimeters (39 inches) range, extending from the device in a 160×160° field of view (approximately 74 cubic feet or 2.1 cubic meters of interactive space). The headset uses the SteamVR positional tracking system (previously called "Lighthouse") initially developed for the HTC Vive by Valve. This means that existing Vive base stations and controllers are compatible with the Pimax headset, removing the need for existing Vive users to set up an additional tracking system or buy new controllers. The headset is compatible with SteamVR and Oculus software, making it compatible with a wide range of already existing VR content. It is not a native SteamVR headset, and it requires "PiTool" software to be installed along with it. The project remains in the top 5 list of technology projects to this day and received the Guinness World Record for the most successful Speden-funded VR project. The headset was initially planned to start shipping in January 2018, but was repeatedly delayed due to design tweaks and manufacturing refinements. As of July 2019 all backers with verified addresses had received their Pimax 8K and 5K+ headsets.

Commercial products

Pimax 5K PLUS The Pimax 5K PLUS is based on similar hardware to the Pimax 8K, but features a lower resolution, at 2560×1440 displays per eye instead of 4K. Launched alongside the 8K, the 5K PLUS units began shipping in large numbers sooner; as of February 2019, a majority of backers had received their headsets, while leaving hundreds of Kickstarter backers waiting for their 8K unit.

Pimax 5K XR 5K XR is a virtual reality headset that is compatible with most VR software titles for Windows-based PC's. The headset has a resolution of 2560×1440 per eye or a total resolution of 5120×1440. The differentiating factor between the Pimax XR headset and the Pimax 5K PLUS is the XR utilizes OLED screens rather than LCD screens. The term "XR" stands for eXtended Range for the added dynamic color range and the near absolute blacks that are possible for OLED type screens.

Pimax 5K SUPER The 5K SUPER has a standard refresh rate hitting 160 Hz and includes an experimental 180 Hz mode with user selectable refresh rates, fields of view, and 2560×1440 resolution.

Pimax Vision 8K X The Pimax Vision 8K X is a variant of the Pimax 8K that solves the cable bandwidth limitation by using the highest data transmission mode with HBC with Displayport 1.4a, thus allowing native 4K resolution per eye, without the visual compromise from upscaling a 5K signal. The total native resolution of a Pimax Vision 8K X is 7680×2160, which should help reduce the screen-door effect. VISION 8KX offers a Dual Engine Mode, which can lower the render resolution to 2,560* 1,440 per display and then upscale that to 4K.

Pimax showcased its VISION 8K X at CES2020 as their flagship model and it was selected as the Top Tech of CES2020: AR/VR by Digital Trends after hands-on review at CES2020; "The Pimax has something most headsets lack; a real sense of peripheral vision." Right after CES2020, the Pimax team went on to meetups in Orlando, Florida.

Pimax announced it had shipped all address verified 8KX orders on September 30, 2020.

Pimax Vision 8K PLUS The Pimax Vision 8K PLUS is a headset similar to the Vision 8K X, but it takes a 1440p input which it upscales to the 4K panels.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Pimax

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Pimax claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Pimax before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Pimax ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Pimax

In research: Pimax appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Pimax in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Pimax is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2015 establishments in China, Chinese companies established in 2015, Companies of China, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Pimax outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Pimax in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Pimax means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Pimax out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pimax in simple terms?

Pimax Innovation Inc. is a technology company specializing in virtual reality hardware products. Pimax Technology was founded in November 2015.

Why does Pimax matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Pimax?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Pimax.