Google unveiled Google Cardboard, a DIY enclosure made of cardboard that transforms a phone into a basic virtual reality headset. The company showed off the headsets, costing just a few dollars, at the company’s annual tech summit. Wondering what Facebook is thinking about its $2 billion acquisition of virtual reality technology company Oculus VR now!

How does Google Cardboard work? Well, it works only with Android phones at the moment. Users can build their own headsets by going online to download a plan that tells them how to shape a piece of cardboard, origami-style, into an enclosure. Other items needed to build the headset include lenses, magnets, velcro, and rubber bands.  When users insert their phones into the headset, they get a split screen view that combines to form a 3D image.

“By making it easy and inexpensive to experiment with VR, we hope to encourage developers to build the next generation of immersive digital experiences and make them available to everyone,” says Google.

[Image courtesy: Google]

Update: 08-18-14