Within a not too distant future they could be a tool for everyday use
Augmented reality may become an everyday thing in the coming years. This technology superimposes computer-generated images on a screen that shows the real world thanks to a camera. It has been sweeping for years in mobile video games such as Pokémon GO!, which shows dolls as part of our environment, but it also has other applications: for example, we would not need to buy a piece of furniture and take it home to see how it would look, and they also use augmented reality those video application filters that put cat snouts or party hats on the people you record. It is even being used to combat phobias with progressive desensitization therapies: people with a fear of spiders get them to ‘walk’ across their palm thanks to this technology, which shows these animals as if they were real.
More uses: in smart factories, which are implementing the so-called industry 4.0, augmented reality glasses are used to train operators or see the indications of an order without diverting attention from what they are doing and keeping both hands free. It is the same reason that has led manufacturers to investigate how windscreens and motorcycle helmets could comfortably inform the driver of the route and of issues related to the vehicle while behind the wheel.
Less cumbersome
Augmented reality glasses are much less cumbersome than virtual or mixed reality glasses and they give those who wear them security when moving because they continue to see their surroundings. In order to work they need a camera, a viewer and the necessary processing to integrate the image created by the computer. Although, precisely to make them lighter and less bulky, they usually use a processor that is in another device, such as a phone or a computer, working as a ‘smartwatch’, so that the user would see the phone’s notifications directly in the glasses. They could also be used to translate posters or conversations if microphones and speakers are integrated, to take photos of what the user is seeing and even to cook a recipe, being guided step by step.
“They would help us, for example, to see how a piece of furniture would look at home without taking it there”
All these functionalities make them a useful complement to smartphones, although as they have more and more powerful processors, in the future they could become a communication tool with their own entity (those who use traditional glasses can use them below those of augmented reality or place in these the crystals with the graduation that they need). At the moment, augmented reality glasses have the drawback of their price (it is high) and they also have privacy problems, since they can record everything that appears in front of the camera that is integrated into the glasses and what their microphones pick up. There are several companies that are working on new augmented reality glasses or improved versions of existing ones.
Nazaré (Meta)
Facebook is developing a new device, Nazare, glasses that would connect wirelessly to a small device where the necessary processing would take place to generate the objects or images that would be superimposed on reality. They will weigh only 100 grams, will be able to follow the user’s gaze and will have an integrated camera. They will go on the market in 2024 with a price of 2,000 euros.
Glass Enterprise 2 (Google)
They have a screen, an eight megapixel camera that records video up to 1080p, three microphones, a speaker and incorporate a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1 processor. Five virtual desktops can be created on one computer. They cost almost 1,200 euros.
Air Glass (Oppo)
In December, the Chinese brand presented Air Glass, a very light monocle of only 30 grams that shows messages in gray scale for what it calls ‘assisted reality’ with a Spark microprojector and a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100 processor that, for now, has arrived in China . It is operated with the Smart Glass ‘app’ of Oppo smartphones or through the Oppo Watch 2 and records the movements of the user’s hand and head.
lenovo
The glasses that they currently have for sale are the ThinkReality A3, with a screen for each eye and a resolution of 1080p that can be connected to ThinkPad computers to create virtual monitors or to a mobile. They weigh 130 grams, use two cameras, three noise-cancelling microphones and stereo speakers, have a Qualcomm XR-1 SmartViewer processor and normal glasses can be worn under the device. They include recognition of voice, images and objects and tracking of the user’s head and gaze. They are designed for companies and cost more than 1,500 euros.
Nreal (Vodafone)
Vodafone released the Nreal Light glasses last year, with two cameras on the front, microphone and dual speakers. Together with the Vodafone 5G Reality AR Android application and the phone’s processing capacity (which should preferably be of the latest generation, with 5G and high-end) they serve to create a shortcut board on an interactive virtual desktop. Its price is 576 euros. Shortly after, another model arrived, Nreal Air, weighing 77 grams and with a very discreet design. They do not have front cameras, the tinted lenses are compatible with most iOS and Android devices and are designed to view audiovisual content on them, so they are closer to a screen to which you can send videos from your mobile than to a mobile device. augmented reality. They are not yet sold in Spain.
Manzana
The company is expected to introduce an augmented reality device next year, but that announcement could come as early as the last quarter of 2022. In its case, they would have a powerful processor, indicating that they could work autonomously.
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