VIRTUAL REALITY IS a closed system where everything visible is generated virtually. Augmented reality superimposes digital content on the real world. Thanks to the pandemic, sales of VR gear increased last year, led by Facebook’s Oculus Quest 2, which allows people with headsets to come together as in an in-person meeting. It does not require a PC or other hardware. Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 mixed reality glasses are primarily intended for enterprise and defense applications. Amazon and Intel are also entering this space, as is China’s Nreal with its 5G mixed reality technology. “The market… for augmented reality and virtual reality will see continued growth, thanks to a slowly warming reception and an increase in the number of new devices,” says Ramon T. Llamas of the Augmented Reality team and virtual IDC.
Magic jump
The Magic Leap 1 headset uses a mixed reality viewer from Brainlab.
(833)456-2442 | magicleap.com
Break
Spectacles augmented reality glasses with 3D waveguide displays and immersive AR lenses overlay digital objects in front of your eyes.
glasses.com
Advertising
Innovative glasses
Lucyd Lyte’s patent-pending Bluetooth mounts offer a blend of designer styling, vision correction, protection and smart functionality.
(954) 826-0329 | lucyd.co
The Oculus Quest 2 has no wires and twice the storage of its predecessor with a fast processor and next-gen graphics.
facebook.com
Vision Mojo
Mojo Lens is an augmented reality smart contact lens with a built-in screen.
mojo.vision
Nreal
Nreal Light MR glasses are light, comfortable and offer a wide field of vision.
nreal.ai
Advertising
Third eye
The X2 MR glasses are a standalone wearable headset with integrated processing designed for augmented reality computing.
(609) 423-1660 | Thirdeyegen.com
Microsoft
HoloLens 2 are smart mixed reality glasses that can connect to remote experts, holographically overlay patient data, and view 3D MRI images.
microsoft.com
Innovega
The eMacula contact lens corrects the user’s vision and transmits the images to the micro-displays in the glasses.
(425) 516-8175 | innovega-inc.com
Smart ways to sell Extended reality
Jérôme Legerton, ODInnovega, Bellevue, WA
Extended reality, including augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality, can all be delivered in glasses. It’s a slow growing megatrend for two reasons: the technology available and the applications yet to be developed. I believe in custom extended reality glasses that require ECPs to meet individual fit and binocular vision requirements. We’ve gotten used to the clarity, crispness, and high-resolution images, along with comfortable bezels. Extended reality glasses have to offer them. We are developing a CL and intraocular lens that can be put on or in the eyes and paired with glasses to provide extended reality binocular experiences with a wide field of view. Scheduled for launch in the fourth quarter of 2022, our licensees will sell the glasses and LCs to hospitals, clinics and ECPs.
Michael Nitsche, PhDGeorgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
We designed a prototype VR headset to help patients with AMD, in collaboration with Dr. Susan Primo of the Emory Eye Center. We are experimenting with software using commercially available headsets to allow physicians to render images to optimize views for their patients. When it comes to consumer electronics, the most advanced mixed reality headset on the market is Microsoft’s Hololens 2. Its eye tracking function can optimize eye movement and provides a wider field of view than its predecessor. Facebook’s Oculus Quest 2 VR headset is just one type of headset produced by the company. To establish virtual reality and augmented reality in a consumer market, early use can be in specific areas such as education or training. At the consumer level, they often find their place in the living room through video games. It’s not possible to walk down the street with a VR headset, but that’s where augmented reality comes in.
