Augmented Reality Smart Glasses

Augmented reality smart glasses add a layer of digital information to the wearer’s real world. For example, a pair of home decor AR glasses will recognize the frame of a window or the corner formed by two walls and overlay them with information about curtains or potted plants.

The technology is being used in the field to support engineers, livestream patient visits, and conduct tele-consultations.

Augmented Reality

Augmented reality enables users to interact with the digital world through a pair of glasses or a headset. It differs from virtual reality, which immerses the user in a completely artificial environment of images and sounds. Most people are familiar with AR from smartphones that display star constellations or the popular “Pokemon GO” game.

AR can be divided into two categories based on how it’s created: projection-based and superimposition-based. Projection-based AR uses projectors to display 3D imagery on flat two-dimensional surfaces, such as walls and floors. This type of AR doesn’t create fully immersive environments, but it’s useful for displaying holograms at events and movies.

Superimposition-based AR uses software to identify specific objects and features in the user’s view. Then, it overlays relevant digital content on top of them. This type of AR is common in retail and manufacturing, where it’s used to guide assembly or inspection processes.

For example, the Wanna Kicks app lets you try on sneakers with in-depth overlays so you can see how they’ll fit before buying them. It’s the same concept behind apps that let you virtually try on makeup products or furniture, and it’s helping brands sell to shoppers stuck at home. AR also makes it possible to carry out remote visual inspection of equipment, machines and tools for quality assurance purposes.

Visualization

For AR to work, the technology needs to be able to recognize what is going on around it. For this, it uses a camera to track the environment and then overlays digital information on top of it. This can be things like text, images, video and animations or 3D holograms. The goal is to create the illusion that these objects are present in the real world even though they are not.

For example, if you are looking at a room in your home through an AR-equipped device, software could automatically generate images of curtains and potted plants to give you ideas on how to decorate the space. The software would be able to do this because it augmented reality smart glasses knows the dimensions of the room and can detect furniture, walls and other items in the frame.

A number of different companies are working on AR glasses and headsets, with a variety of capabilities. Some are more focused on consumer applications, while others have more of a business focus. For instance, the Lenovo ThinkReality A3 AR device tethers to smartphones and laptops to provide processing power and storage for augmented reality visuals.

Another popular pair of AR smart glasses is the Moverio BT-45C and BT-45CS, which are designed for use in healthcare and other enterprise environments. These feature a wide field of view, hands-free control and built-in GPS. The device can also display message alerts discreetly in the user’s field of vision. This can allow users to quickly respond without interrupting their current task. It can also display virtual arrows to help them find their way in an unfamiliar location.

Interactivity

Smart glasses with augmented reality offer a way to superimpose additional digital content onto a person’s physical surroundings. These devices feature a display for presenting the virtual content, cameras for spatial orientation and recording, speakers and microphones for verbal communication, and a convenient mounting that resembles traditional glasses.

The software that powers these devices uses simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) to gauge the environment around a user, making it possible for them to interact with the holographic digital components through hand gestures. Some smart glasses also have GPS technology that displays virtual arrows to help users navigate. They can also recognize speech and text to allow a user to control the device by simply saying or gesturing what they want it to do.

AR use cases for business include field service, enabling on-site workers to view and interact with digital work instructions or 3D models. This can lead to less downtime, more first-time fixes, and more satisfied customers.

Other AR applications for business include displaying interactive customer experience and increasing the number of interactions. Insurance companies, for example, use AR to provide customers with information about their policies and explain available insurance plans.

Communication

Smart glasses use an array of sensors to overlay digital information on the user’s view of the world. They work differently from virtual reality headsets, which immerse the user in a fully synthetic experience. They are used for a variety of applications including remote assistance, training and education. They also help in improving productivity by enabling workers to view detailed digital data that they can interact with for enhanced output.

The smart glass market is expected to gain from increasing digitization and a growing interest in AR/VR technology among gamers. However, high hardware and software costs are likely to hinder the growth of the industry.

For example, Microsoft’s Hololens 2 is an augmented reality headset that uses a computer to identify markers in the real-world environment, and then project digital 3D images or augmented reality smart glasses holograms over them. It’s designed for a number of industrial applications, such as visualizing complex engineering models and creating medical simulations that can improve the way surgeons train.

Meanwhile, Apple’s upcoming AR glasses are less expensive than Microsoft’s offerings. However, they are not as feature-rich. For example, the Apple Glasses will not be a standalone device; they will connect to an iPhone for processing and will have limited functionality. In addition, they may not be as durable as the Vuzix Blade and other AR glasses that rely on a smartphone for power and functionality.