Head-mountedDisplay
Latest
i-Bean glasses provide mobile TV up close and personal
It's getting to the point where some of these gadget-laced glasses providers are going to have to collaborate, as hauling around a suitcase full of variously useful specs is really getting rediculous. Joining the ever-growing fray is Arisawa Japan, whose i-Beam contraption functions as a less invasive head-mounted display by beaming a virtual "21-inch screen" of broadcast television right before your very eyes. The device itself weighs in at just ten grams, packs an external attachment to house the TV tuner and four AA batteries, and a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack to boot. Of course, we'd probably recommend just snapping up a do-it-all GPS unit that handles television programming on the side, but hey, it's your ¥39,800 ($336) to do with as you please.[Via Wired]
Shoulder-mounted camera could extend human abilities
No question about it, strapping a webcam to your dome or rocking a set of unsightly head-mounted displays can kill a substantial amount of time, but researchers from the University of Bristol are looking at more practical uses of wearable cameras. A shoulder-mounted camera system that "automatically tracks head movements and can recognize hand gestures" has been developed in the UK, and eventually, they hope for it to recognize what the user is doing and make his / her life easier by communicating with other devices based on their actions. The cam is controlled wirelessly by a host computer, which "uses the camera's output to keep track of objects, map its position and recognize different hand gestures made by the user." Interestingly, the perched device even includes a trio of motors for muti-directional assistance, and built-in inertia sensors keep it level with the dips and dodges of life. Of course, we can't promise you that everyone (like mall security) will take kindly to a Big Brother-type device flanked on your shoulder, but at least you won't have to hire a bodyguard to watch your back, right?
Headplay announces Personal Cinema System HMD
Los Angeles-based Headplay has announced a new head-mounted display that it's hoping will stand out from the myriad of other stylish HMDs on the market, set to officially unveil its visor-style Personal Cinema System at CES. Designed by the prolific folks at IDEO, the Headplay uses a single LCoS micro display to deliver a virtual 52-inch screen at resolutions "up to" 1024 x 768, with a separate "Liberator" box handling the input situation, including component, composite, and s-video signals, as well two USB ports and support for various memory card formats. Unlike most other HMDs, the Headplay also does away with the integrated headphones, although the company will be providing a set of noise-suppression ear-buds of its own along with the unit. Look for this one to land sometime in April for an even $500.[Via Uber-Review]
22Moo expands its awkward lineup of head mounted displays
Although we Americans tend to scoff at anything labeled 3D, stereoscopic, or wearable display, apparently the Aussies (or somebody) think these things are pretty inspiring. Expanding its (astoundingly) growing list of head mounted displays, 22Moo is offering two more (likely rebadged) units to literally gander at, and is going all out with its marketing ploys to connect these gaudy headpieces to some of the trendiest products out. The lightweight i-Vision 230 comes in white (surprised?), red, and silver color schemes, features a "virtual display" of 35-inches from 2-meters away, rocks a 320 x 240 resolution LCD, and plays nice with your "video iPod, Zune, Wii, and Xbox 360" (not to mention basically any other vanilla video source). The beefed-up Argo+PC adds "PlayStation 3 and set-top box" compatibility, features twin 640 x 480 resolution LCDs, a detachable light shield, stereo headphones, and generates a virtual image of 43-inches. Additionally, this set can reproduce "3D stereoscopic images" if used with a "compatible video card." Both eyewear devices are currently available for those interested, and while the i-Vision 230 will run you $250, the presumably Star Trek-approved Argo+PC (pictured after the break) will demand $350.
ezGear's ezVision Video GlassesHMD
Until full-color flexible displays start hitting the market in who knows how many years, the only way to get big-screen video enjoyment on the go (besides holding your iPod right up to your face) is by attaching your device to a head-mounted display. Far from the bulky eyesores they once were, HMDs have thankfully evolved to the point where you don't look completely goofy sporting a pair in public, so there will probably be some interest in a new low-profile model called the ezVision Video iWear Glasses. Typical of these devices, instead of advertising the actual size of the LCDs, manufacturer ezGear only claims that the ezVisions simulate a 50-inch widescreen TV at some undetermined distance. You also get an 8-hour rechargeable battery, iPod and RCA breakout cables, and a replaceable nose piece, all for $400 direct from the manufacturer, or perhaps less when they arrive at retailers later this month.[Via Yahoo]Update: Sounds like ezGear was using "iWear," a trademark belonging to another company, without permission. Woops! Call 'em the ezVision Video Glasses.
LightVu HMD uses "NanoPrism" tech to eliminate "cyberstress"
Although not any more stylish than the rest of the head-mounted displays on the market, the LightVu reference design from Israeli startup Mirage Innovations could provide a benefit even more important than fashion, which is preventing you from throwing up. The lightweight plastic goggles feature a proprietary technology that the company calls "NanoPrism," which supposedly eliminates the "cyberstress" (nausea, dizziness, vertigo) inherent to other binocular devices by some fancy manipulation of the 42-inch-equivalent picture. Specifically, a diffractive optical plate built into the frames reflects the video from whatever microdisplay device is being used (LCD, LCOS, OLED) so that both eyes see one continuous image. So far no manufacturers have picked up this design, but we'll take one for a spin after a big meal if we ever get a chance, and let you know if we were able to keep our food down.[Via EE Times and I4U]
