Thalmic Labs rebrand as North and unveil AR smartglasses
On October 24 2018 Thalmic Labs who are rebranding as North, unveiled a set of smart glasses it hopes will propel it to the forefront of the market for wearable AR devices. They are called Focals and contain a microphone, speaker, a battery and projector. North is preparing to open retail outlets in Toronto and Brooklyn to sell the smartglasses. North hopes to win the race to build the first AR wearable device in the world.
Whilst this is not directly related to AR in the enterprise, this surely represents a huge step forward in widespread understanding and availability about AR wearables in general.
The article claims the North are aiming to beat competition by introducing the technology slowly and keep devices as unobtrusive as possible.
A 3D model of the customer’s head is made via cameras in a booth; there is also an optometrist consultation.
Early adopters will need to visit one of the retail stores.
Functions of the new smartglasses are similar to those on a smartphone and can be viewed on the original article here.