Apparently id Software's John Carmack wasn't the only person building a virtual reality headset, previewed at E3 2012, as Canon is showing off the Mixed Reality headset ahead of retail availability in July. The headset isn't a gaming device, simulating instead real world situations.

One such situation is assembling and disassembling a virtual airplane, and The Verge said it could "easily see the idea being expanded to highly complex virtual machines composed of hundreds of parts."

The headset works by getting images from the left and right eye, and a computer then combines that with the user's location and the 3D model of the object for interaction. The finished image is then displayed on the headset's monitors for the left and right eye.

"[T]he company whose booth we visited, Kyokuto Boeki, said that it planned to use the headset to provide training for people in dangerous working conditions like inside nuclear power stations," The Verge added. The technology seems like it could be expanded to air pilots to simulate emergency procedures, or even bomb disposal experts for practice. It would bring the reality of the task without any of the danger.

John Carmack's headset was targeted at the video games industry; the device was basically tape and metal, but users could move around and interact with the game (Doom 3, which will be bundled with the final product). Carmack said in an interview with video game Web site Giant Bomb it would allow users to touch the floor, so the in-game character is literally being controlled.

The downside is that using a headset is probably a solitary experience, and at best a party gimmick. Playing Call of Duty online is largely popular because of people talking throughout games, even if it's not always pleasant, and boasting about post-game statistics.

A price for the Mixed Reality headset hasn't be announced, but Carmack said his headset could launch on Kickstarter for a price around $100 and then rise to around $500 for mass production. It will also be bundled with Doom 3, which is releasing in October along with the previous two titles.

For more on the Canon's Mixed Reality headset, check out the hands-on video below: