OPINION : The AR market is heating up withApple ’s rumoured AR / VR headsetjust Clarence Shepard Day Jr. away from reveal , but what about reliable AR glasses ?
While the concept might seem like it ’s still far off , I latterly pass away eyes - on with epitome AR glasses with Lumus lightwave show technical school that paint a very different picture – and a party exec also tease that we might be donning AR chalk rather than expected .
Lumus is already a giving player in the AR showing game working with the US Military on AR technical school for use in scrapper jets , but the company is gearing up for a consumer AR revolution over the next few years . The company has been around since 2000 and has been working on displays for smart glasses for years , with each looping of the paradigm tech getting slimmer while delivering high - calibre trope .
That hard employment has culminated in the Z - Lens , the troupe ’s whole transparent AR display that , if things go as planned , should be used in upcoming AR glasses . The Z - Lens is peculiarly impressive as it manages to retain all the advantage of the previous Maximus video display tech while wither the projector faculty by more than 50 % – a requirement for lightweight consumer - focused AR crank .
When I pried David Goldman , Lumus ’ VP of Marketing , for more information as to who Lumus is partner with , he would n’t say – but he did tease that it ’s one of the grownup players in the tech market . Apple ? Probably not considering its AR glasses plan are still rumoured to be early in development . But Meta ? Hmmm … That one sounds plausible , especially givenMark Zuckerberg ’s plansto start quiz AR glasses with internal employee in 2024 before a public release in 2027 .
Unfortunately the most late Z - Lens glasses prototype suffered technical issues while in passage from the US to the UK and was n’t available for an heart - on demo , but I did take a tone at its Maximus herald withvery similartech , albeit in a slightly stumpy form . Reader , I wasveryimpressed .
It ’s a completely unlike experience to the exhibit used in basic first - gen AR glasses like Oppo ’s concept AR glasses that Iused at MWC 2023 . While the glasses worked totally untethered , themicro - LEDdisplay waseasilyvisible to not only me but everyone else in my neighbourhood , and it could only exhibit artwork in a Fallout - like neon green .
The Maximus prototype , on the other hand , delivered images you ’d expect from a standard display , with an abundance of colour and point within those bantam completely gauzy 2 K display – and Goldman claims that the resolution can just as easily be upped to 4 K depend on the manufacturers needs , so it could lookevenbetter by the time it comes to market .
I find out a handful of effigy , videos and demos on the headset including an impressively detailed ship float in front of my very middle . There was also a text - based image that , while static during my demonstration , would be very ready to hand for anyone doing a presentation or read off an autocue .
“ But Lewis , you ’ll be able to tell that there are displays within in the crystalline lens ! ” I hear you cry . I would normally consort with you – the showing of the Oppo Air Glass 2 was very obvious to see – but Lumus has performed what I can only name as fabricate wizardry to wholly hold back the display and the light being shone on them from the side - mounted projectors , making for a rightfully inconspicuous video display experience .
Light is ordinarily a crowing issue for AR glasses – it ’s why the the likes of of theNreal Aircome with peculiar lightheaded blockers for exercise outside – but that ’s not the causa for Lumus ’ technical school that can reach an unbelievable 3,000nits , brighter than even the mostpremium smartphonesaround in 2023 .
The comfy hotel meeting way I was sitting in was swamp with brilliant sun by the large windows nearby , but I had no issue whatsoever with legibility , though brightness had to be adjusted manually at this point in the prototyping process .
Regardless , that ’s a Brobdingnagian step ahead , bringing us nigher to glasses that ’ll work even in bright unmediated sun .
At this point I should in all probability reiterate that Lumus is solely focussed on its waveguide exhibit tech . It ’s up to other manufacturers to add up up with the overall design and other features to be included , be that wireless connectivity , feeling controls or integrated cameras , so the cite intention of the glasses I used were precisely that – point of reference .
I ’d expect the final outcome to expect much svelte than the slightly bulky , hardware - connected prototype glasses I used during my eyes - on experience .
The million - dollar question is , when will we start seeing these kinds of AR drinking glass hit the market ? According to David Goldman , we ’re not too far off .
While he could n’t give any concrete release engagement details about upcoming headset during my hands - on academic term , he seemed very confident that the first consumer AR glasses would bump off the market sometime in late 2024 , or early 2025 at the in vogue . Does he bed something I do n’t ? More than likely …
Are you unrestrained about the future of true AR glass , or do you reckon it ’s just a fad ? Let me know onTwitter .
