Ever since Google launched its Google Glass
project, the reality of wearable eyewear seems to be inevitable. Since
then, developers from around the world have been trying to take on Google Glass by creating their own wearable display glasses. Instead of just being able take a photo or video, smart glasses have the potential to do so much more. With capabilities such as being able to integrate augmented reality
with your own, feeding you live information during your activities,
projecting images at a high resolution, and even letting you manipulate 3D objects with ease; it’s only a matter of time before smart glasses become a part of our daily lives.
With that in mind, take a look at our list of 10 forthcoming augmented reality & smart glasses that you can buy
to have a look at the future of wearable gadgets. Most of these
products are still in development but some are already available for
pre-order. Have a look at the future of augmented reality and smart
glasses.
1. CastAR
CastAR is comprised of two things, a pair of glasses and a surface
for the glasses to scan. There’s a camera in the middle of the glasses
that scans your surroundings. It then adjusts
accordingly to project images through the two micro-projectors installed
on top of the frames. No longer do you need to hold a screen and point
it at an AR object. Just wear the glasses and the augmented world is right in front of you. This is a good attempt in bridging the physical and virtual world.
Part of what makes CastAR unique is the additional component called Magic Wand that helps you interact with the augmented world.
The Magic Wand can also be used to move an augmented object in the
augmented world thus allowing you to do something like play an augmented
reality game. [$290-$765]
2. Moverio BT-200
The Moverio BT-200 is an augmented reality headset capable of watching HD contents
(3D supported). It also enhances your augmented reality experience when
using AR related apps. This headset comes with a front facing camera, a
motion sensor, a built-in Dolby Digital Plus for sound, GPS,
microphone, compass and projectors. It works by projecting images at a
resolution of 960×540 to the transparent glasses, allowing you to watch
videos, play games, navigate and plenty more without losing sight of the
physical world.
Unlike most augmented reality glasses, instead of being wireless, it
needs to be connected to an Android based device at all times. That’s
where all the computing power comes from. This allows BT-200 to last for
up to 6 hours with impressive specifications like a 1.2GHz dual core
processor, 1GB RAM, the drivers for Dolby Digital and an Android system
running on Ice Cream Sandwich. [$699]
3. Meta
Meta focuses on what Google Glass does not. It overlays augmented reality on top of your reality.
Your gestures are identified by Meta to allow you to freely manipulate
3D objects, where you can basically treat it like a clay. Meta also
gives you unlimited screens by just grabbing a piece of paper and playing a video onto that paper; turning it into a flexible computer screen of sorts.
It aims to give users the capability of being able to do full-fledged 3D modelling
on the go, using nothing other than Meta itself. Its specs include
motion tracking, 3D HD display, 3D surround sound, camera and quality
lenses. [$667-$3650]
4. Vuzix M-100
This type of smart glasses will help in relaying information directly to you
from a wearable monocular display, similar to that of Google Glass.
Vuzix M-100 also comes with direct-onboard processing features plus a
camera to help it capture and display augmented reality. However, its
focus is for enterprise, commercial and medical applications.
Vuzix M-100 smart glasses is based on Android, therefore it is
compatible with thousands of Android applications. It also includes the
Nuance Communication speech-to-text software to help improve the M-100
voice dictation system. [$999]
5. Laster SeeThru
SeeThru claim to be the first genuine wireless augmented reality eyewear
and instead of relying on a camera to gather information about your
surroundings, it relies only on its own series of location plus a GPS to
get things done. The Laster SeeThru is not equipped with a camera to
avoid comments regarding invasion of privacy.
The SeeThru focuses almost entirely on sports and activities
like biking, parachuting and yachting among other things. It helps
navigate and gives live information whenever you’re doing such
activities. SeeThru is packed with features like wireless &
communication with smartphone, localization and navigation, head
tracker, and contacts access from phone just to name a few. [$399]
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