DreamGlass Air AR Glasses Put a Virtual TV On Your Face
AR company Dreamworld AR has just launched new unique AR glasses on Kickstarter. Currently, most augmented reality glasses are built to perform one specific type of function be it playing games, listening to music and so forth. Dreamworld AR’s DreamGlass Air AR glasses are more than just a single function AR glass/headset. The glasses aim to put a virtual TV in front of the user’s face while also allowing them to perform other functions such as reading emails.
Launching for as low as $269 for early-bird pledges, they are some of the cheapest augmented reality glasses for far. The DreamGlass Air glasses will project the digital equivalent of a 100-inch screen into their air with a superb 2.5K QHD resolution. They have a field of view of 90 degrees according to the manufacturer, Dreamworld AR.
Unlike other AR glasses, these glasses are capable of displaying multiple screens side by side. Sensors in the device will detect the head movements to enable the wearer to look around the screens. The actual display will be at the top of the glasses and it will project its own light onto two mirror lenses. The DreamGlass Air glasses have been built to project a virtual 2D screen in front of the user’s eyes. There is also Pro version of the glasses which will no doubt be able to accomplish much more.
How the DreamGlass Air AR Glasses Work
These 5oz augmented reality glasses will sit on the user’s face and project an equivalent of a a massive 200-inch, high-resolution virtual screen (virtual TV) just a few meters from the user’s eyes. The glasses can connect wirelessly to a multiplicity of devices such as mobile phones (Android and iOS), PCs, laptops and even game consoles to mirror their screens and provide users with a relaxed private immersive viewing. Only the wearer of the glasses will be able to see this augmented reality TV experience. You don’t have to grapple with some weird camera or projector that will get in the way of the viewing experience. You can also use them to add an extra virtual screen to your PC or laptop.
A 90-degree field of view is fairly impressive. The battery will last 5 hours and its resolution of 600-pixels-per-inch delivers sharp images per eye. The total resolution is 2.5K with a refresh rate of 60Hz.
The DreamGlass Air AR glasses also have a wired connection for zero latency when interfaced with your XBox or PlayStation. You can also plug the glasses into your phone to create a wired setup or use its onboard battery to charge your phone as you are watching virtual content.
The glasses use a reflective multi-layered glass system to provide a passthrough functionality, enabling users to tune in to the outside world if they wish to. The images are projected at least 2m (6.5 ft) away from the user’s eyes which reduces eye strain. The glasses are also designed such that there is sufficient space to use them while wearing your prescription eyeglasses underneath.
The DreamGlass Air AR glasses are capable of tracking the user’s head movements in three degrees of freedom. Users can even “pin” stuff in mid-air and tun their heads away from the virtual screen if they wish to. It is even possible to put up two screens in mid-air with one projecting a movie and the other for your emails and other activities. They therefore enable you to multitask: you can read your emails in one screen while a movie plays in the other screen or you can simply turn back to enable the movie to take up the entire field of view. The glasses can even be used to project an AR FPV if the user is flying a drone that sends back images back to their phones.
In spite of the fiddly wire connections and a design that is not particularly sleek, the DreamGlass AR adds something which is completely new and more accessible to the industry. It’s a good entry point device for augmented reality and is a much better way to enjoy your gaming or Netflix episodes on the go without having to stress your eyes on the phone or tablet.
Dreamworld AR is marketing the glasses as a universal monitor for various kinds of devices such as smartphones, gaming consoles, PCs, laptops and “most other electronic devices” including drones. Depending on the devices that it will be interfaced with, connections will either be via a wireless screen transmission, HDMI cable or USB-C. The manufacturer has already integrated 5G connections.
The DreamGlass Air AR glasses can even be folded and put away in a carrying case. However, the device is still fairly clunky and won’t win you any fashion awards. At 5oz or 150 grams, they feel heavy. It has an enclosed computer with integrated battery which will serve as the control unit.
Dreamworld AR has launched the AR glasses on Kickstarter with the early-bird pledges coming in within the first 72 hours getting the glasses at a highly discounted price of just $269. So far, more than $190,000 has been pledged against a target of $15,000. The company will begin deliveries for the DreamGlass Air AR from December this year with an expected retail price of $489 after the early price runs have dried out.
The DreamGlass Pro will be full-fledged augmented reality glasses
Apart from the standard DreamGlass Air AR glasses, Dreamworld AR will also be unveiling the pro version of the augmented reality glasses which, like the HoloLens and other higher-end glasses, will support room-scale tracking.
The pro version will have RGB cameras installed on the front for spatial orientation along with an extra chip for image processing. According to the manufacturer, these glasses even support hand tracking. They have a tracking latency that is less than six milliseconds.
Like the normal DreamGlass glasses, users will be able to connect the pro version to an Android smartphone or a PC. There is also a 5G connection option. Both the field of view and display resolution of the pro version of the glasses match those of the DreamGlass Air AR glasses. For the Kickstarter campaign, the lowest price for the pro glasses will be $900.
Dreamworld AR was founded in 2016 by augmented reality enthusiasts with more than 20 years of combined experience in building tracking techniques and optical systems. It currently has a customer base that mainly consists of enterprise users including studios, companies and universities. With its new AR glasses, the company now wants to take its product to the mainstream users.
