We were expecting to see Xiaomi’s recently announced augmented reality glasses at the Barcelona show, but not from that far away. Unfortunately neither on our head, nor in our hands, we were able to observe them worn during a private session organized by the Chinese manufacturer.
It was Abi Go, product marketing manager at Xiaomi, who offered us this short demonstration. We didn’t learn anything more than what was in the press release issued on Monday morning, but we were able to realize the size of these glasses. They are quite bulky and will by no means be master key. That said, the size remains smaller compared to what other brands offer in terms of connected glasses.
Abi Go. © Digital.
It was also an opportunity to admire the electrochromism of the two glasses in action. The transition from transparent glasses to dark glasses is done quite easily by pressing the right branch of the Wireless AR Smart Glass Discovery Edition. A demo of their AR capabilities was also offered to us. But without wearing the pair ourselves, it’s hard to realize how advanced the product looks, even though it’s only a prototype. We have only just begun to convince ourselves a little more seriously.
The electrochromism of glasses in action. © The Digital
A mixture of admiration and frustration was then felt at the end of this private presentation. It must be said that the glasses were so close to us, without any chance to evaluate the augmented reality of this product. Hopefully IFA Berlin will be more supportive and ease our frustration.
Part of the session consisted of a demonstration of an augmented reality game. © Digital.