I’ve been given a sneak peek at the technology that will power augmented reality glasses from leading manufacturers, and they’re going to be massive. And the quality is astounding.
Later this year, at least one set of augmented reality glasses from a well-known brand will feature an optical engine from the Israeli company Lumus. The company wouldn’t say with whom it is collaborating, but it has been reported that companies like Apple, Samsung, and Google are planning product launches for this spring.
In a private meeting at CES 2023, the business gave me a sneak peek at its second-generation Z-Lens 2D waveguide technology. Future items will be powered by an optical engine that is only a few millimetres in size, making installation unobtrusive. on a pair of standard-sized eyeglasses. I’m wearing a prototype gadget here so you can get a rough idea of what the finished product might look like (avoid the trailing cables).
really bright display
The fascinating thing about the glasses, though, is what you can see through them, not how they seem physically.
The 2K x 2K resolution of the glasses allows you to clearly read 8pt text and distinguish individual feathers on photographs of birds.
Naturally, this makes it possible to use the glasses to watch 4K movies and play high-definition games. Lumus animated an airship that was flying towards me and emitting smoke from its engines. I could see the background of the hotel room we were sitting in through the airship’s windows as it seemed to fly closer to my face, displaying how the glasses blend the actual and virtual worlds. worlds. Imagine being able to view, for instance, how a new car would appear on your driveway or how a watch would appear on your wrist.
In addition to being razor-sharp, the image produced by the glasses is searingly bright at up to 3,000 nits. A page of text with a white background seems as white as an A4 piece of paper, and unlike some other early AR headsets, the background is completely white with no tonal variations. When it was at its brightest, I had to momentarily take off my glasses because it was so blindingly brilliant.
When the glasses are worn outside in bright sunshine, such brightness will be required in order to display images. Additionally, the batteries in those glasses shouldn’t run out too rapidly when you’re out and about. Ari Grobman, CEO of Lumus, informed me that he anticipated a four to six-hour battery life. Even though it might not sound as good as, example, a smartphone, you probably utilise the augmented reality features all the time.
The Lumus prototype I tested had a field of view of 50 degrees, but Lumus says it will soon increase to 80 degrees.
Potential of augmented reality glasses
There are a tonne of potential uses for AR glasses besides video and games. For instance, you might use them to simulate a computer display, where various screens would show in front of you just like they would on a conventional PC monitor. The virtual panels would remain constant when you moved your head thanks to a simple motion sensor on the glasses, allowing you to converse with the person sitting next to you without blocking your vision, just like you would in a typical office.
They could be used for improved shopping away from the house or office. The glasses in a coffee shop, for instance, might list the different drinks available so that you can purchase one without standing in queue.
Grobman asserted that “AR glasses are poised to transform our society.” They offer innovative potential for connection with different surroundings and enterprises, better ergonomics than smartphones, and a far more fluid experience than handheld devices.
Prepare for takeoff
Although Grobman declined to discuss the device makers it is collaborating with, he predicted that consumer goods would hit the market in 2024. The business has agreements with suppliers who can produce the Z-Lens chips in their millions.
In 2023, AR glasses will be a product to literally watch very closely.
Update: New dates for the product launches have been added to this article.
