In this newly translated video released by Fujitsu the company explains the basic principles of Augmented Reality and showcases projects it has done including several in the gas and oil sector. Executive interviews and customer testimonials explain the benefits of the technology the company provides. For more information about the solution, see the brochure.
Thinkware, a mature Korean business providing IT for driver assistance has been shipping the award-winning DashCam products (special cameras for mounting on your dashboard) since 2013. The company unveiled its AR-assisted navigation system, the iNavi X1 during an event in Seoul on Dec. 1, 2014. Extreme AR, Thinkware’s software platform, provides directions to drivers in real time by combining road images and information about routes. It informs drivers to change lanes in advance by predicting the next route with AR images.
China has unveiled Reed Glass, a locally manufactured pair of smart glasses at the China International Industrial Design Fair in South China’s Shenzhen on Saturday, Nov 29, 2014. Tech experts say that Reed Glasses are more advanced than the much anticipated Google Glass product in terms of its display technology and battery life. It comes with an attractive price tag too. The REED glasses only cost one third the price of a pair of Google Glasses.
Quality inspectors in the Greer (South Carolina, USA) BMW plant have completed a pilot study on the use of Google Glass to display information and record inspection procedures when evaluating new software in new and existing vehicle models. Instead of filing reports by typing, BMW testers communicated findings through Glass’ voice-recognition and video recording system. Every two minutes video capturing by the quality assurance tester system uploads automatically. Analysis of the trial results suggest that video flagged as showing problems can be closely reviewed by BMW Group engineers to more quickly resolve persistent issues.
Huawei spin-off Honor has confirmed plans to enter the wearables space amid rumors of an inbound Google Glass rival.
Some employers will introduce AR-assisted workflows to improve operational efficiencies and they will dictate the platform hardware and software in use on their premises. The majority if not all businesses will frown on employees bringing their own AR-enabled devices to use when at work. According to the Risk/Reward Barometer study conducted by global IT association ISACA, current policies about BYOD are unclear in the domain of wearable technology. That said, the study respondents feel that the risks of bringing user-owned wearables into the workplace outweigh the benefits so when they come the new policies are likely to prohibit or discourage use of personal wearable technology on the job.
A year after it raised $1 million on Kickstarter, the castAR team led by ex-Valve engineers Jeri Ellsworth and Rick Johnson has just shipped its first pair of hands-free display for Augmented Reality. This device features active shutter glasses, a camera for input and a projector that displays 3D models onto a surface. The Technical Illusions video shows what went in the first boxes shipped to backers.
Augmented Reality-assisted experiences can be designed to rely on content and computational resources that are both close (hand-held and/or worn by) and remote from the user. In such architectures, mobile devices must access content and computing services via standard communication protocols. The choice of connectivity protocols to date has been simple: all systems are using WiFi. But even in its most efficient implementations, WiFi consumes more power than alternatives such as Bluetooth and ZigBee, significantly diminishing battery life for the AR-assisted systems.
GreenPeak Technologies has released a new study comparing Bluetooth, ZigBee and Wi-Fi for low power communication services. Bluetooth Mesh, a new standard, is intended to challenge ZigBee, Wi-Fi and other IEEE 802.1 5.4-based networking technologies in the low power networking space. However, GreenPeak Technologies recommends that network architects tap the strengths of all proposed low-energy options. Standards conflicts will only slow down market acceptance, and prevent the development of new markets.
The race for leadership in lightweight high performance hands-free displays for Augmented Reality continues to heat up. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded the patent for a “Transparent Electronic Device” filed in January of 2010 to Apple. According to a post on the AppleInsider portal, the patent credits Aleksandar Pance as its sole inventor.
Doing more with interactive technologies including Augmented Reality marks the main trend seen at the recent Pack Expo International show. Augmented Reality-enhanced packaging was featured to increase productivity for workers in manufacturing as well as enjoyment and engagement of customers with brands.