While Google's augmented-reality glasses are receiving immense attention – and scrutiny – they're certainly not the first pieces of eyewear to include an integrated display.
A company called Vuzix released its first pair of augmented-reality glasses, the iWear VR920, in 2009. The glasses contain two LCD displays that mimic a 62-inch screen sitting nine feet away. An add-on camera routes real-time footage of the real world to the LCDs, overlaying augmented-reality elements powered by LinceoVR software.
The Vuzix glasses were perhaps the first low-cost integrated-display glasses on the market that didn't outright suck. Nonetheless, that distinction hasn't translated into mass-market appeal and sales.
The same can be said for the Sony Glasstron personal video headset that was released in 1997. And even the 3-D monochromatic Virtual Boy with its powerhouse Nintendo pedigree couldn't entice gamers to shove over-sized glasses onto their faces for a more immersive experience.
But none of these stumbles have stopped companies from dipping their toes into the dubious waters of integrated-display eyewear. From augmented-reality glasses to headsets that render movies and games, you can actually purchase a number of integrated-display products – right now, today.
So, while Google leaves us hanging with very little actual information about Project Glass, the following headsets are doing their best to entice us into a world of integrated-display eyewear.
Recon has been in the head-up display (HUD) game since 2010. The company's first product, the Transcend, was a partnership with Zeal Optics to bring a HUD to the eyes of skiers and snowboarders. The HUD goggles use a rider's GPS location to display elevation, speed, and time of day in a small screen that sits at the bottom-right of the user's field of vision – and it's all in real time. All the cumulative data from a day on the slopes can be downloaded to a computer, and the GPS information can be associated with interactive maps so users can chart their speeds against location.
Recon's current MOD ($300) and MOD Live ($400) products augment the original Transcend goggles with features that include jump analytics, buddy tracking, music playback, navigation, and smartphone connectivity. The goggles won't tell you that the subway is running late, but Android connectivity will alert you when you have an incoming call or text.
Of course, you might want to wait until you've reached the bottom of that double black diamond before responding.
Project Glass has been a pet project of Google for two years. Meanwhile, Vuzix's Star 1200 augmented-reality glasses are the company's third generation of AR headsets – and, at $5,000, they suggest just how difficult augmented reality is to pull off. Starting with the previously mentioned iWear VR920, Vuzix has continued to bring integrated-display glasses to the market with limited success.
Still, Vuzix was selling display glasses when Google with still trying to convince us that Google Wave was an awesome idea.
The Vuzix Star 1200 augmented-reality glasses display 2-D and 3-D visuals on transparent lenses. Two cameras – a lightweight compact camera for general applications, and a 1080p HD camera for applications that require high-definition visuals – record the world at large, and transfer this video to augmented-reality software that identifies objects and environs for interactive use.
But there's a serious downside to the system: The glasses need to be plugged into a Windows computer or an iPhone in order to work. It's not the self-contained unit Google is promising, but having an actual product on the market is arguably better than simply sending someone to a party with a possibly working, possibly dummy prototype.
Yeah, Brother – the printer company – sells an augmented-reality eyewear device called the AiRScouter. We're as surprised as you are. In our ongoing reporting of Project Glass, experts have told us that the manufacturing and medical sectors are prime candidates for augmented-reality applications. Brother is embracing manufacturing applications with the AiRScouter, as the video below showcases.
The glasses employ a monocular (single display) design with a translucent LCD that sits in front of the wearer's left eye. Brother says the resulting image is the equivalent of looking at a 16-inch monitor that's one meter away. As a factory worker is operating machinery, the AiRScouter can overlay workflow instructions in real-time.
In addition to helping employees build and maintain products, the system can be used for communication. With an optional camera and audio attachment, the wearer can transmit video back to support center staff – which can then direct the machine operator on better ways to fix problems in real-time.
Everyone looks at the same work-in-progress, and from the same point of view. The support staff can even take screen shots of the transmitted video, annotate an image, and beam the image back to the wearer for clarification of how to fix an issue.
The entire system is pretty slick. Too bad it's only currently available for purchase by commercial entities in Japan. Like the Vuzix Star 1200, the AiRScouter needs to be plugged into a computer or smartphone to work.
While augmented reality gets everyone excited about integrated-display glasses, sometimes the technology can be overkill. Maybe you just want to replace the display on your desk, or the TV in your living room. In those instances, relatively simple (but still fully immersive) head-mounted displays offer a way to use a computer, watch TV, or just tune out the world while still sitting at your desk, or on your couch.
Epson's Moverio BT-100 head gear fits into this category, purportedly recreating the viewing area of a 80-inch monitor that sits 16.4 feet away.
Unlike other head-mounted displays that block the outside world from view, the Moverio displays images onto semi-transparent glass. When the system's integrated projectors are turned off, the display can double as a less-than-fashionable pair of sunglasses. The system is managed by an Android-powered control module that connects directly to the glasses via two wires. It's better than connecting to a computer, but not as good as a self-contained unit.
The control module's trackpad helps users navigate the system's interface. It's WiFi-enabled, and supports Android apps from the Amazon App store, and plays video saved to the device and from sites like Vimeo, Netflix and YouTube. It's the mobile Android device your face always wanted.
While the Epson Moverio tries to cover all the bases, the $800 Sony HMZ T1 goes after one market: entertainment. Sony set its sights on creating the most immersive 3D movie and video gaming experience on the market, and according to glowing reviews of the device, it succeeded.
The HMZ T1 features dual 720p OLED displays that mimic a 750-inch screen that's 65 feet away. To round out the personal theater experience, the headset features 5.1 surround sound audio. The headset attaches to a supplied processor unit that then connects to any device with an HDMI out port. This is not an on-the-go headset. Instead, Sony wants you to sit in your favorite chair and play video games or watch 3D movies without the distractions of text messages, Twitter feeds, and phone calls.
Of course, $800 is a lot of money to watch The Lion King in 3D uninterrupted.
A direct competitor to the Sony HMZ T1, the $800 Silicon Micro Display ST1080 headset also uses a controller box to view video content. But unlike the HMZ T1, the ST1080 displays video at 1080p and has a transparent display. You'll still be sitting in your living room tethered to a media device, but you'll be using new display technology while you're doing it.
The ST1080 uses LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) display technology to bring 1080p to a wearer's eyes. This micro-projection technology uses highly reflective liquid crystals that either reflect light or block it entirely.
