In our last post, we covered release dates for AR glasses. We concluded that 2018 is a year of dev kits and early releases, while 2019 ramps manufacturing to serve a group of early adopters. This post outlines nine hardware specific features that we expect to see in the AR glasses of 2019.
- No more monocular displays, all Immersive AR glasses will have a stereoscopic display
Any Immersive AR experience will require glasses with a stereoscopic display. Google Glass and many of the AR headsets available for purchase (Vuzix, OptInvent) have a monocular display. These “one-eye” displays may be beneficial for conveying hands-free information in industrial situations, but they aren’t providing the immersive AR future that we all imagine. The monocular displays are more like a Apache fighter pilot HUD, and are not for everyone. We’ve heard complaints of eye strain with limited use of the monocular headsets. It’s our belief that widespread adoption won’t occur until stereoscopic displays are readily available.
2. Say goodbye to the bulky headset, 2019 AR glasses will offer a better form factor.
If manufacturers expect users to wear headsets for extended periods, they will need to be lightweight (under 200 grams), have transparent lenses for indoor use, and a comfortable look. Most AR prototypes are bulky, helmet looking headsets that we can’t imagine wearing. We’re starting to see better form factors with new releases; ODG’s R8 and R9 models are small considering their use of half-mirror technology. Access to small, transparent waveguides is becoming more prominent as manufacturing ramps up, making a 2019 release date more believable for a light, compact, socially acceptable pair of glasses.
3. Cut the cord, all devices will be “untethered,” or only have a cable to a belt pack.
Immersive AR requires the freedom to move from room to room or building to building without lugging along a PC. Unlike VR, the people wearing glasses can see everything in their surroundings so going to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee or walking up to a whiteboard is something that users expect. Magic Leap and DAQRI solve this problem with a belt-pack/light wear, it’s a device connected to the glasses that contains a “pocket computer.” Until hardware specs get smaller and faster, the belt-packs are probably the best option, giving people the freedom to move around without having the additional weight or heat dissipation on the person’s face.
4. Bigger viewing windows to create immersion with a wide Field of View (FOV).
One of the primary complaints with the Hololens was the small field of View. The FOV is the AR window to view the digital world. The best way to describe the FOV is to imagine you’re extending your arm out in front of you and holding a rectangular object. For the Hololens the FOV is at 35.5 (30 X 17) degrees diagonally, which feels like you are holding an oversized deck of cards. A 40-degree diagonal FOV is similar to a medium-sized notebook, and a 50-degree FOV is a large notebook. Non-waveguide technology can increase the FOV reaching up to 100 degrees. However, this improvement to FOV typically comes at the expense of brightness and form factor. By 2019 we expect the leading technology to use waveguides with a 40 degree FOV or greater, while maintaining 3000 nits of brightness.
5. High processing speeds with low latency providing a quality 6DoF experience.
Motion to photon latency is the time needed for a user’s head movement to be reflected on the display screen. A poor motion to photon latency caused motion sickness in early VR headsets, while it doesn’t make you sick in AR it completely breaks the immersion of the experience. At CES our team tried several prototypes with inferior processor and a terrible multi-second latency (under 20ms is required to feel presence). The good news: anything that was running on Snapdragon 820 or it’s equivalent provided a positive experience. ODG’s R9s have a Snapdragon 835, which is dramatically better than the 820 and DAQRI’s have an Intel Core m7. In 2019 we’ll see likely see another improvement with the Snapdragon 845.
6. Bright displays that work when a digital image is in between you and a window with sunlight (we still have a way to go before headsets work outside).
A common problem with existing AR tech is that the digital images get washed out in direct sunlight. Even in moderate lighting, AR objects become semi-transparent breaking the illusion. Nits are the unit used to measure brightness. For a high quality indoor experience AR glasses should have approximately 3,000 nits. Ideally, this number would be higher, but it’s a number that is feasible given an indoor use case. Waveguide manufacturer DigiLens is claiming their waveguides have over 15,000 nits, which would solve the translucency problem in outdoor conditions. Their technology is very exciting, but we have yet to see their waveguides in a pair of stereoscopic glasses.
7. Reliable tracking that allows users to place holograms into the real world and believe that they exist.
Just like your cell phone, all AR headsets will need a dedicated IMU to track acceleration and position of the headset. The IMU data is combined with outward facing fish-eye cameras used for environmental and positional tracking. These two data inputs work in concert to find a plane in your room and allow you to place a digital object that remains fixed in position while your phone or glasses move around the object. Tracking technology is critical to the experience that gives the user the illusion that the digital object is physically in the room. Another benefit that the outward facing camera provides is the ability to take pictures and record video that can either be saved or sent to remote experts for guidance.
8. Improved battery life for up to 8 hours of AR use.
To achieve the vision that Immersive AR glasses present, they must be accessible every day for long periods of time. All headsets will require a battery life that lasts a full day. Glasses such as the ODG R9 have two 700 mAh lithium-ion batteries (1400 mAh) and charge while in use. Although a specific time for battery life isn’t in the specs, one would assume a 1400 mAh would last a couple hours of heavy AR use. Third-eye is marketing removable 2400 mAh batteries for their X1 headset, while DAQRI has a 5800 mAh battery that should last several hours. Thanks to Elon Musk and Tesla, we can expect battery technology to continue it’s rapid advancement and reduction in the cost per kWh.
9. Ultra HD display quality with no screen-door effect, making it easy to read.
Display quality is critical for many AR use cases, and it’s vital for reading. Currently VR headsets have a “screen door effect” making it very difficult to read without significant eye strain, limiting their informational use cases. AR technology doesn’t have the screen door problem with the status quo 720p display, but we can expect full 1080p resolution for leading displays in 2019. The production run of the Lumus waveguides have a 720p display, with a new 1080p model to go into manufacturing by the end of the year. ODG already has a dual 1080p stereoscopic display, and the Meta 2 has an industry leading 2.5K resolution (2432 x 1366). Ultra HD displays are a fantastic step forward in creating a realistic and immersive experience.
2018 is a year a big behind the scenes year for the AR industry, testing early prototypes and establishing production lines. In 2019 we will start to see our early adopter colleagues and friends wearing and talking about AR experiences in Immersive AR glasses.
