Introduction: Back-lit VR Headset Faceplate for VR KiX

By VR KiX
About: Virtual Reality made easy. Comfortable & Affordable.

Here is a fun and creative way to make your virtual reality headset unique! It only take a few tools, supplies and less than an hour to do!

Step 1: Tools You Need

Before you get started, gather your tools. You know it will make it easier for you if everything you need is in your workstation.

1. Soldering Iron

2. Wire Snips

3. Scissors (not shown)

4. Wire Cutters (not shown)

5. Hair Dryer or Heat Gun

6. Device to Cut Plastic (not shown)

We used our laser cutter to cut our plastic faceplate. A soldering iron is hot enough to melt the plastic. A heated knife or dremel would work too.

Step 2: Materials You Need

Gather up your materials! You may have to order some of these items, some you may have in your arsenal.

1. White Backlight LED Module

2. Stranded 26 or 28 Gauge Wire

3. Transparent Film (we used clear - choose a color if you want!)

4. USB Micro-B Breakout Board (We got ours from Adafruit.com)

5. 1 100 ohm (1/2 or 1/4 watt) resistor

6. Micro USB Splitter (not shown)

7. Power source (we used a power bank- not shown)

8. Shrink Tube

9.Tape

10. Your VR KiX Faceplate

11. Glue (we used Cement Glue)

12. 1/8" Thick Self Adhesive Foam

13. Double Sided Tape (not shown)

Step 3: Cut Out Your Faceplate

We used our laser cutter to cut out our image. But if you use a heated knife, dremel or even your hot soldering iron, you'll have good luck.

Step 4: Attach Plastic

1. Cut out your plastic to cover the cut out.

2. Apply glue and attach your plastic

3. If you have a loose piece, like the "S" in our design, flip the faceplate over and glue it on.

4. Let the glue dry

Step 5: Strip the Backlight Wires

Use your wire snips to strip off about 1/4" of the plastic covering.

Step 6: Cut Stranded Wire

1. Cut 2 pieces of stranded wire about 2" long

2. Strip off about 1/4" of the plastic coating on both ends

Step 7: Connect Wires and Resistor to Backlight

1. Twist a stranded wire onto the black wire from the backlight.

2. Solder this connection.

3. Cut about 1" of shrink tubing and slide it onto the wires, with the solder connection in the middle of the tube.

4. Use a heat gun or hair dryer to shrink the tube. It doesn't need much time to shrink about 30 seconds - maybe less if your hair dryer is really hot! This step keeps the connection from breaking.

5. Cut another 1" section of shrink tubing and slide it onto the red wire.

6. Twist the red wire onto the resistor.

7. Solder this connection.

8. Side the shrink tube over the connection and repeat step 4.

9. Attach the second piece of stranded wire to the other end of the resistor and solder this connection.

10. Repeat steps 3 and 4.

Step 8: Connect Backlight to USB Micro-B Board

1. Connect the black wire (which now has a white end in our photo!) to the "GND" hole in the USB board.

2. Solder the wire in place.

3. Connect the red wire (it has the resistor on it!) to the "5V" hole in the board and solder that connection.

Step 9: Plug It in to Test

Plug your power bank or other power source into your USB connection. It should make the backlight come alive! Remember to turn on or plug your cable into your power bank. We thought we had a bad connection over here, but the USB cable was disconnected from the power bank at first!

Step 10: Tape Your Backlight Onto the Faceplate

1. Center your backlight

2. Tape down the wires first. They should go to the left or right side, depending on where you want the power connection to come into your headset. Leave enough room to guide the wires or tape them down in that direction.

3. Tape down the top of the backlight.

Step 11: Attach USB Board to Faceplate

1. Attach 1/8" thick self adhesive foam inside the raised section of the faceplate.

2. Attach double sided tape to the USB Board and then attach to the foam. The board should be at a slight upward angle so that the cable can plug into it.

3. Why not plug it in and test it out again?

Step 12: Add Troughs for Wires to Pass Through

If you leave thing as is now, your faceplate will not fit back onto you VR KiX. The wires are getting in the way! We used our soldering iron to make small troughs in the ridge surrounding the USB board. Just place your hot iron onto the plastic and sink it in. Then guide the wires through the troughs.

Step 13: Plug in the Backlight

1. Attach the faceplate to the front tray of the VR KiX

2. Open the front tray.

3. Use your USB Splitter and plug it into your power source (ours is a power bank)

4. Plug one end of the splitter into the USB Board

5. Plug the other into your phone - if needed.

Step 14: Close the Front Tray and Have Fun

You can now use your headset to play virtual reality games or watch 360 videos while showing off your super cool design. And best of all, you made it yourself!