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RelaxView 5.0 Dental Pack distracts from pain, does not clean teeth
In a clever bit of marketing designed to play to our deepest fears of oral torture at the hands of a disgruntled hygienist, Dutch manufacturer relaxView B.V. is bundling a head-mounted display with a portable DVD player and offering it up to dentists as a way to distract their victims patients from the unbearable pain. The RelaxView 5.0 Dental Pack combines the company's relaxView 3.0 HMD (simulates a 1.5-meter VGA screen at a distance of three meters), unnamed model of Discman, and "disposable hygiene set" (read: pack of alcohol swabs) into a package that differentiates itself by promising "optimum comfort" derived from a 65-gram weight and adjustable nose support. Not too shabby: if we had the rate our options in these situations, we'd pick watching a movie just ahead of staring at the colorful exam room artwork, and just behind a heavy drugging.
Evan Blass10.25.2007
Informance shades give athletes a heads-up display
For every gimmicky workout product that comes along like the push-up counter or talking grip master, there's also one such as the Nike+iPod or Entertrainer which actually seem to prove useful or motivational. Well you can add the upcoming Informance sunglasses from German lenscrafter Rodenstock to that list, which take your regular sports shades and tack on a tiny LED display that shows stopwatch or pulse data from a wirelessly-linked watch. Developed in cooperation with the UK's Cambridge Consultants, the display projects a 160 x 120 pixel image through a wedge-shaped prism, occupying 12% of the left eye's field of view in a reportedly unobtrusive manner when peering straight ahead. Look for actual products to hit the market sometime in 2009, for an estimated €700 to €1.000 ($990 to $1,400).
Evan Blass10.19.2007
Myvu intros solo plus HMD with support for new iPods
Just in case you were worried during "The Beat Goes On" that the new iPods wouldn't work with the current generation of head-mounted displays (which they apparently won't), myvu has come to the rescue with a new model that -- besides a shared distaste for capitalization -- also features an Apple authorization chip for guaranteed compatibility. The solo plus follows the nearly-identical solo that we saw earlier in the year, sporting a low-profile design, wired remote, and integrated, noise-canceling, earbud headphones, while playing nice with the touch, classic, and 3G nano. Also like the solo, the solo plus will retail for $200 when it hits stores in October, so start filling out those return slips if you happened to have purchased an original unit recently.[Via iLounge]
Evan Blass09.25.2007
Shimadzu DataGlass 3/A: the HMD for Cyclops
Another day, another fancy head mounted display vying for your hard-earned dollars. This time around it's Shimadzu, and rather than hanging the pirates and cycloptic individuals in the crowd out to dry, the DataGlass 3/A is designed to only interfere utilize one eye. Interestingly, this USB-powered iteration is also dust- and water-proof in case you're desperate to view a virtual screen whilst signing in the rain, and can also be connected to your PC or handheld device via a standard VGA cable. No word on price just yet, but be sure and check out the video listed in the read link to quell your excitement.[Via I4U]
Darren Murph07.20.2007
Olympus developing completely wireless head-mounted displays
Olympus is planning on taking head-mounted displays out of the "giant nerd" category and into the "scary dystopian future" realm with a new project to develop a completely wireless system that can also double as eyeglasses. While most other HMDs we've seen feature a cable snaking across your body to an external power pack, Olympus has expanded on its previous efforts (pictured) and is already prototyping a 3-ounce unit with an internal power source powering two side-mounted 110,000-pixel displays that project email onto the lenses. Olympus is optimistically hoping to bring the tech to market in 2012 -- looks like wannabe Terminators are going to be lugging those battery packs around for a while yet.
Nilay Patel07.12.2007MyVu solo: the $199 iPod-friendly head mounted display
Sure, MyVu's other LCD goggles for iPod weren't stratospherically priced, but creeping under that magical $200 price point could encourage a few more folks to take a serious look at head mounted displays -- or not. Unfortunately, even the MyVu solo still requires you to don those humiliating specs to enjoy the visuals, but this device does enable the attached iPod to power it if you're not keen on picking up the optional eight-hour Li-ion battery pack. The glasses also tout built-in noise-canceling earbuds and are compatible with any of the iPods with video, and hey, for $199.95, they might be worth picking up for in-home (read: not in public) use, but we stress might.[Via MobileTechReview]
Darren Murph07.11.2007
Virtual Hallucinating goggles make you temporarily Schizophrenic
We can't say we'd be first in line to get a dose of Schizophrenia or anything, but Janssen L.P.'s Virtual Hallucinations system shows promise of helping cops, paramedics, and social workers understand a bit more of what the afflicted go through. The technology consists of set of goggles and earphones that envelope you in one of two interactive scenarios that a typical Schizophrenic might face, including being a passenger on a bus in which the other riders continually vanish and reappear while stray birds attempt to invade the inside. The system is reportedly being trialed in a half dozen or so states, and professionals that had made it through the mind warp seem to have a new outlook on respecting and dealing with those with mental illnesses. Of course, if you're just interested in creeping yourself out, there's always easier alternatives.[Via MedGadget]
Darren Murph05.23.2007
Scalar, eMagin showcase HMD and microdisplay creations
It's no secret that we most any sane individuals give the gaudy head-mounted displays of today a hard time for being so socially destructive, but a pair of companies have unveiled separate creations that look to make these things a bit less noticeable when perched on your face. eMagin's prototype SVGA-3DS microdisplay (shown after the jump) comes in at a minuscule 0.44-inches, relies on OLED-on-silicon technology, touts impressively low power consumption, and can reportedly show off an 800 x 600 resolution image. Over in Japan, Scalar is back on the scene with its Teleglass T3-F, which projects a virtual image of a 28-inch display two meters ahead of the viewer. The device mounts on the arm of your glasses, sports a 0.24-inch WVGA transmissive LCD, operates nearly four hours on two AA batteries, only covers one eye (baby steps, folks), and is fully retractable for those times when you actually need to converse with people without completely frightening them away. eMagin's invention is still being tweaked before official release, but citizens residing across the seas can pick up Scalar's latest right now for a stiff ¥98,000 ($808).[Via I4U]Read - eMagin's SVGA-3DS microdisplayRead - Scalar's Teleglass T3-F
Darren Murph05.23.2007
Air Force taps Microvision to develop wearable displays
HMDs may be slow to catch on with the general public (despite some companies best efforts), but the U.S. Air Force certainly seems to be sold on them, awarding Microvision a $3.2 million contract to build 'em some custom gear. Under the deal, the company is promising to deliver a "lightweight, see-through, full-color eyewear display prototype" that's a good deal more "wearable" than some of the displays now in use (as seen above). Eventually, the company says the displays will be as small as protective eyewear or "high-fashion sunglasses." Not surprisingly, the company also foresees a few advantageous side-effects to the deal, saying that it won't only accelerate the available of displays for the military, but for consumer, industrial and medical markets as well.[Via I4U News]
Donald Melanson05.10.2007
Head-mounted display helps disabled walk
Although we've seen gait monitors and even prosthetic feet that assist individuals in regaining a more natural stride, scientists at Technion Institute of Technology in Israel have resorted to a head-mounted display for its rendition. This virtual reality device combines "auditory and visual feedback to improve walking speed and stride length in patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's disease," and provides the wearer with a "tiled-floor image" that apparently assists them in navigating nearly any terrain. The device is meant to take the place of normal muscle feedback mechanisms, and to provide said feedback to these disabled individuals so they can make adjustments and improve the efficiency of their walk. The HMD has already made its way to several medical centers and has purportedly yielded positive results, but there was no word on when this device would be commercially available.[Via MedGadget]
Darren Murph05.04.2007
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]
Darren Murph04.25.2007
Scalar's video-enabled Teleglass T4 sunglasses
Apparently, the millions and millions of consumers keeping these spectacle companies in business don't actually use them in public, as Scalar has somehow justified busting out yet another set of microdisplay-equipped glasses for the world to, um, see. The firm is no stranger to the world of video-enabled glasses, but these tinted gems still retain that terribly unfashionable look while offering up a "virtual 45-inch screen" for commuters to watch while getting unknowingly stared at. The device can reportedly accept nearly any AV input, including that from an iPod or other PMP / DVD player, and gives the illusion that you're viewing a screen from nearly two feet away. The (fairly) lightweight specs weigh in at 40-grams, and while we've no idea why you'd be interested, you can snag the Teleglass T4 in April for a completely ridiculous ¥100,000 ($824). [Warning: Read link requires subscription][Via PlasticBamboo]
Darren Murph01.26.2007
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]
Donald Melanson01.05.2007
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.
Darren Murph12.17.2006
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.
Alberto Ballestin06.12.2006
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]
Evan Blass05.05.2006