DK-40
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Lumus turns its military-grade eyewear into a Google Glass competitor (video)
Lumus has long developed heads-up displays for the US military, but now it's using a developer kit called the DK-40 to bring its HUD tech to wearables outside the battlefield. The contraption's first stop was the CES show floor, so we couldn't resist putting our fingerprints all over it. The key feature of the DK-40 is the "optical engine", which eliminates the need for a thick piece of glass to house a substantially sized prism. For the most part, the lens is transparent, but refracting light can occasionally catch the prisms and remind you (again) that it's not run-of-the-mill eyewear. And as if one display wasn't enough, the firm says it's possible to add a second one for the left eye. Folks with eyesight issues can attach a pair of prescription lenses that rest on the nose grips, but the firm is also developing a version where the medically prescribed glass will be bonded to the lenses.
Lumus reveals classy two-tone Glass competitor with in-lens display
Lumus is a heads up display (HUD) manufacturer better known for its military-grade products, some of which have been deployed in US Air Force F-16 and A-10 helmets. Its latest effort, the DK-40 dev kit, is an attempt to steer its tech toward the consumer market. And yes, it looks a lot like Google Glass. But instead of projecting notifications on the outskirts of your peripheral vision, the entire right lens of Lumus' Android-powered eyewear is a 640 x 480 see-through display. The DK-40 also includes a motion sensor and 5-megapixel camera necessary for a true AR experience. Though its sleek design is more socially acceptable than its fighter pilot headgear, Lumus doesn't intend to mass-produce anything just yet. The glasses are still deep in development stages, harboring only 1-2 hours worth of battery life. Instead, the company simply wants to promote the adoption of its lens technology. The entire monocular kit and SDK will debut at CES 2014, but won't ship to OEMs and "select developers" until the end of Q1 2014.
