Anyone who has worked out in or even just used virtual reality for an extended period of time knows about the “VR sweats.” As your body has trouble determining if it is actually in motion based on what your eyes see, it can have a bit of a short-circuit. You’ll then start to sweat excessively. In a headset, that can be very uncomfortable, but designer Kyle Fredericks may have a solution. Chilldex is a cooler built for the Valve Index that wants to put VR sweats behind us.
Chill out!
Plugged directly into the Valve Index headset via USB, the Chilldex is a discrete fan designed to keep you cool at all times. Fredericks claims it is nearly silent. The Premium model features a dynamic speed based on your temperature and activity in a game. The standard Chilldex will feature a button to switch between two fans. It also doesn’t use a high airspeed in order to prevent irritation or dry eyes, which could force you to remove your headset during a workout. At that point, you’d be better off having a large fan next to your location.
The Chilldex is currently on Kickstarter with a goal of just over $19,000. It is already well on its way to meeting this goal after a few days. Those who donate $31 or more will be able to get the standard Chilldex by around April. Those who donate $39 or more will get the Chilldex Premium. Higher donation amounts can be rewarded with bundles containing multiple units.
The Chilldex only works with Valve Index, an expensive headset that is currently difficult to purchase. However, we’ll likely see more headset manufacturers support or include similar devices by default in the future. With VR fitness gaining momentum via the success of standalone headsets like Oculus Quest, it would allow for even longer workout sessions.
