Canon Unveils the MREAL S1, a Portable Enterprise-Focused AR Headset
Yesterday, an article on VR Times reported that Canon has released the MREAL S1, their latest Augmented Reality headset. The enterprise-focused technology can be strapped onto head mounts, on a housing for handheld interactions, or for hands-free viewing.
Canon’s MREAL Display MD-20 was announced earlier this year, however the MREAL S1 is more of a Virtual Reality headset with a passthrough AR feature. VR displays combines with stereoscopic camera sensors provide a ‘Mixed Reality’ view. Two additional optical sensors offer positional tracking. The device requires a PC tether, however, it can work with mobile workstations.
Advantages of the MREAL S1 mentioned in the article include:
- The “smallest and lightest video see-through MR device in the history of MREAL”, according to Canon’s Japanese website
- Portable due to the lack of light-blocking blinders
- Cheaper than its predecessors
- Handheld style for ease of use
- Designed for industrial applications
- Convertibility
- Smaller in size than predecessors – size of a regular smartphone
- No ungainly giant handles from previous models
The article concludes by noting that the MREAL S1 is likely to be a Japan-only enterprise device.