Lumus-Optical unveils microdisplay-packin' designer glasses

While we admire the effort of those gaudy, unsightly microdisplay-equipped goggles to bring big screen theatrics to the front of your face, they aren't likely to win any style contests, nor help you garner any friendly attention. An Israeli company, dubbed Lumus-Optical, is looking to change all that by offering up a relatively normal looking set of spectacles with twin microdisplays and mini projectors. The firm's latest prototype boasts dual 640 x 480 resolution displays as well as a wee projector on the arm; the Lumus glasses can accept video inputs via an undisclosed connection, and projects an image akin to a "60-inch screen from 10 feet away." Its Light-guide Optical Element (LOE) technology allows the imagery to be reflected back on to the lenses so users can view them, all while being transparent enough to allow you to focus on the humans, trees, road block, or board room presentation ahead of you. Although it's easy to shrug gizmos like these off as gimmicky and unrealistic, we guess we'll have to see (ahem) for ourselves when these specs are demoed at CES.

[Grey Acumen @ Dec 12th 2006 1:19PM]

See these? I WANT these. They look hella fun, but my question is, does it handle progressive scan?

[granny down east @ Dec 12th 2006 2:25PM]

Israeli

[Chris @ Dec 12th 2006 2:26PM]

Imagine, the first step to a portable heads up display. No more TomTom, your directions will just float over the road in front of you.

[IWantTouchScreen @ Dec 12th 2006 2:40PM]

I want. I'm tired of bending my neck to stare down at my treo. or whatever.

[Matt B @ Dec 12th 2006 3:04PM]

People don't watch where they are going to begin with.

[pudders @ Dec 12th 2006 3:24PM]

"Yes, dear...what was that...your on fire?...That�s nice dear..." Man I can't believe how good these glasses make Jessica Simpson look!

[GJP303 @ Dec 12th 2006 4:51PM]

I personally think that they are very ugly. I hate how the glass are so square and jet out so far to the side. I don't know but they just look so awkward on her.

[Chris @ Dec 12th 2006 5:04PM]

The lenses are gigantic.

[Eric @ Dec 12th 2006 5:21PM]

well, the reason the lenses are so gigantic is becuase the photo is doctored, look at the angle of the glasses on her face, its totally off, that or she is trying to start a new trend, so thats probably why the lenses look big

[Michael @ Dec 12th 2006 5:27PM]

Ugly? Well then change the frame. That's trivial. The system obviusly does not require a particular shaped frame to work. You can have geek lenses if you want.

[Jack @ Dec 12th 2006 7:31PM]

Take a look at Microvision (www.microvision.com). They're doing the same thing and got the patents to back them. Look to see the first implementation of their technology in projection devices embedded in the car and cellphone. Eyewear to follow...

[Erlend @ Dec 12th 2006 8:09PM]

Reminds me about the HUD in ghost recon

[Tom @ Dec 12th 2006 9:45PM]

My main concern is that the eyes will get tired of focusing one inch away from your face. Maybe there'll be a way to fool the eye into focusing a foot or two out, but i kinda doubt it.

[Zyph @ Dec 12th 2006 10:53PM]

You're not focusing 1" away, you're focusing 10ft away.

[Ende @ Dec 13th 2006 4:13AM]

Israeli is where Nighthawk 0.50's come from so this must be good

[Thom @ Dec 14th 2006 8:05AM]

Can anyone read? This product is from *Israel*, you can't actually buy it and live with yourself.

[techguru @ Dec 13th 2006 9:08AM]

Zyph is almost right about focus. More correctly, there is no eyestrain because focus is set to infinity.

Regarding Jack's comments about Microvision, there are many companies and many patents on Personal Displays. However, this is the only one that acually displays a large picture through a transparent normal-size lens. And they have the patents for that, as one would imagine.

[Toben @ Dec 14th 2006 12:08AM]

There are several Spec. Ops forces throughout the world that are already using this kind of technology for their infantry. The tech in GRAW isn't that far from what's being used now

[JSM @ Dec 14th 2006 2:55PM]

I love how these anti-semites find a new angle every decade to spew their hate. "the jews are mean to their neighbors, who just happen to want to kill every last one of them and dump them in the sea, but that doesn't matter, BOYCOTT." Isreal, through the work of many muslim and jewish engineers, is producing some of the coolest miniture technology in the world, not to mention some pretty cool intel chips, so no self respecting gadget lover is going to ignore them because you've read the protocols of the elders of zion and didn't get the joke. Go seig heil somewhere else.

[jphil @ Jan 25th 2007 7:48PM]

Dude, you are totally brainwashed. You can buy some Palestinian "gadgets" instead (for example rockets which are aimed and fired at Israeli civilian population EVERY DAY).

I've seen the device, it really is focused at infinity (which means it's in focus no matter what you're looking at - a wall 25 ft away or the seat in front of you on the bus, 1 ft away).
And of course the shape of the glasses have nothing to do with the technology.

[robin @ Jun 15th 2007 7:24AM]

All I've ever wanted is to be able to purchase such a nice piece of technology. When is it coming to market?

[Dave @ Jan 3rd 2008 9:58PM]

"Late 2008" according to the new website that just went live at www.lumus.com. It's still not clear whether they're going to market any "end user" products or just subsystems designed for integration into other peoples' products.

[Dave @ Jan 3rd 2008 10:01PM]

err, oops: That should have been http://www.lumusvision.com.