Google Cardboard: The 'Oculus thrift' virtual reality headset

Google has produced a cheap DIY virtual reality headset made solely of cardboard, embedded with two lenses.

When a user places a smartphone in the front of the device, the viewer receives an immersive 3D experience comparable in many ways to more expensive hardware like the Oculus Rift.

The device began as a side project by a single engineer, and was developed over a period of just six months. Google now says it wants to spur development of the emerging field of VR by handing out the devices to software developers to create new experiences.

The BBC's North America technology correspondent Richard Taylor had a chance to experience the device and met the head of its research team, Christian Plagemann.

Follow Richard Taylor on Twitter @RichTaylorBBC