The Air Glass, only marketed in China for the moment, are the first “discreet” augmented reality glasses. At the MWC in Barcelona, we were able to try them out and discuss with the project manager.
After smartphones, will the next computer revolution be linked to eyesight? For several years, we have regularly heard about augmented reality glasses. This new category of product, which would have the advantage of operating continuously, without the user having to do anything, has the potential to integrate technology even more into our daily lives. All the major manufacturers are working on it and should, within a few years, unveil glasses ready to be marketed.
We’ve been able to try out prototype AR glasses in the past, but none felt quite as successful as Oppo’s Air Glasses. Thanks to their very classic design, closer to glasses than headphones, Air Glass finally makes augmented reality natural. At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, we were able to try them in preview. We were in the presence of Yi Xu, the head of everything related to augmented reality at Oppo. He works in the American laboratories of the company.
Information perfectly integrated into the view
What do we see with Air Glass? It’s hard to explain but we would just say that we see projected text on the top right of our view. We are not in a false reality but in the real world, with additional information in fluorescent green (for now, Oppo’s technology can only manage one color). At startup, the time is displayed.
By making a gesture on the branch that contains the video projector (which is the size of a coffee bean according to Oppo), you can switch from one application to another. We have for example the possibility of consulting the weather forecast, of looking at the number of kilometers traveled during the day, of accessing a voice translation system in real time or, more amusing, of launching a teleprompter. To recite a speech (or cheat in school), you no longer need to print cheat sheets. The text appears directly in a corner of our view. The glasses can also display our notifications when we receive them, serve as GPS and allow you to listen to music (only on the ear with the branch).
The intelligence of Oppo’s system lies in its design. The Air Glasses are not an augmented reality helmet but glasses that could not be more normal. The video projector, which integrates the AR part, is a 30 gram box that is attached to the right branch with a magnet. Without it, Oppo’s glasses are ordinary glasses. You could, technically, clip it to any pair you already own.
When you connect the device, Oppo’s glasses turn into a great technological tool. It’s clever, since it allows you to get rid of augmented reality when you don’t need it, and therefore to have a more classic look. The branch has an autonomy of approximately two hours and is recharged in a transport box equipped with a battery, which allows energy to be recovered as soon as augmented reality is not used.
A take-off in 5-10 years?
Of course, there are still many points where Oppo’s glasses need to improve. For example, the sharpness of displayed text still depends far too much on the user’s vision, with no adjustments to improve it (we don’t have glasses normally, but we saw blurry text from time to time). The virtual area is also too small, which forces you to look in the upper right corner of your view to consult information, which is not really natural. Oppo is aware of all these problems and reminds us that this is a first version, for people eager to discover this technology.
Asked by Numerama,Yi Xu tells us he thinks the technology will take off in 5-10 years, probably with even more minimalist glasses. The director of Oppo believes much more in Air Glasses than in VR or AR headsets, which he thinks are too bulky. One of the paths that Oppo could take is that of rapprochement with eyewear manufacturers, to whom it would sell its augmented reality technology. We are frankly looking forward to seeing what will happen. We really like checking the time and its notifications without having to take the smartphone out of our pocket or lift our wrist!