1. Optinvent Ora – AR Glasses with the Largest FOV
Optinvent SA is a leading maker of cutting edge AR Eyewear. The company is recognized in the industry with over 20 years of experience in the field. Now Optinvent is working on ORA-S – a true AR digital eyewear platform that integrates the patented Clear-Vu see-through display engine.
Ora offers “true AR,” which overlays the entire display in front of your eyes much like a heads-up display unit. This is unlike Glass, which offers more of a “companion display” where you have to look up to view it. At the same time it offers a unique feature – Flip-Vu, which lets you pivot the display downward into what’s called dashboard mode so that it’s now more of a companion display rather than one that dominates your entire field of vision. Kayvan Mirza, CEO of Optinvent, says glancing downward is a much more natural position than looking up, as we tend to look down at our phones and other devices anyway.
Ora features display with 24 degree field of view and a 4:3 aspect ratio and resolution of 640×480, or 33 pixels / degree. The display also boasts an incredibly 3,000 nits of brightness.
Other Ora’s tech specs are 800 mAh Li-Ion battery, which provides 4 hours of constant use ore 8 hours of typical use, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, front facing camera, 9 axis motion sensor, ambient light sensor, microphone and loudspeaker. The final product will have weight of 70 g.
Interested devs can go ahead and pre-order a unit right now from the company’s website for around 700 Euros, which is roughly $951.
URL: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/01/optinvent-ora-hands-on/
2. Infinity AR Announces Super Brain for Google Glass
Infinity AR ist he first augmented reality software platform to connect universally with digital eyewear, smartphones, tablets, smart TVs and connected cars, announced today that it will be developing the brain called Amazing Relevance for the augmented reality platform that includes Google Glass. It will provide the breakthrough technology that anticipates a digital device user’s desires and uses that information to effectively expedite their wishes.
By examining the user’s Twitter feeds, social media postings, websites browsed, products ordered, common GPS locations at particular times of the day, Amazing Relevance develops an intuitive profile of the user’s preferences. For instance, the next time the user is hungry, looking to buy shoes, plan a vacation or go to a show, Amazing Relevance will co-ordinate advertising, directions, discounts and all sorts of relevant information based on what the user likes and needs. This technology will revolutionize a user’s life by anticipating needs which is more about the individual and less about gimmicky technology.
As Google is preparing to launch Project Glass it is paramount to be at the forefront and develop the perfect ecosystem that will be the super brain for Google Glass. “Our software development team is working around the clock as we are eager to be at the forefront as the leading software platform for the launch of Google Glass,” says Infinity AR’s CEO Enon Landenberg. Business Insider forecasts Google Glass will be an $11 Billion market by 2018 and Infinity AR is confident it will capture a large market share for creating the super brain for augmented reality experiences.
3. Augmented Reality Glasses Will Translate Any Language for You
NTT Docomo, the predominant mobile phone operator in Japan, is behind yet another innovative AR glasses. The remarkable augmented reality glasses were revealed during the Japanese Gadget Fair. The glasses are capable of translating foreign texts into the wearer’s own language in a real time. The developers expect that the new glasses could be ready for the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The country is monolingual, so visiting the place where signs are in Japanese and the people are speaking only its native language might be not so appealing to tourists. This is the reason why these spectacles are promoted to be the best friend of the tourists as soon as it is readily available in the market. A tourist can freely roam around the country, dine at any restaurant or read any documents in a foreign language without any doubt and confusion.
At the same time glasses can instantly turn a flat surface into a touch screen panel. Whenever needed, the user can face any flat surface or wall and the images or tags to tap on the screen will be virtually reflected on the wall.
URL: http://www.onlinegadgetstore.com/8971-augmented-reality-glasses-japan-threaten-google-glass/
4. Augmented Reality Sundial Bench by Joshua Barnes
Sundials are far from anything but a new invention—they date back to 1,500 BC. But a structure that’s a bench/sundial/augmented reality app all in one is definitely something that’ll grab attention. Designer Joshua Barnes created a bench where sitters can record a video of themselves sharing a message or story for a future sitter to view one year later, not a day less, not a day more.
The arm rest acts as a ‘gnomon’, casting an hour line shadow onto the seat. Each shadow throughout the year is unique to a particular time and day, providing a cycle of new AR image tags. Users can create a video message and associate the day and hour’s shadow with their message using an image-recognition app on their smartphones. Every hour of the day, new videos will reveal themselves from previous years’ users.
It seems like this concept can only work at sunny weather, so it would be nice to add an option to use the bench itself as a marker, while the cloud would provide the user with content depending on server’s time and date.
URL: http://www.dvice.com/2013-10-8/concept-bench-recalls-your-thoughts-through-augmented-reality
5. Bringing the Past Alive through Augmented Reality
In 2008, the remains of an intact Dornier Do 17 were discovered on the seabed of Goodwin Sands, three miles off the coast of England. This was a discovery of international importance, as this aircraft, which was shot down on August 26, 1940, is the world’s only surviving Dornier Do 17. From October 16th the general public will be able to 
experience a dynamic new exhibition at its Cosford site which will explore the background of this legendary aircraft and its recovery. The creation of the ‘Wargaming.net Interpretation Zone’ has been funded by Wargaming, an award winning global game publisher and developer.
The grant of £75,000 has allowed the Museum to work with redLoop: the Middlesex University Design and Innovation Centre, to develop new approaches to the display and interpretation of the Dornier as it is conserved. A number of interventions will tell the story of the Dornier, its recovery and conservation – in both the Museum’s physical and digital spaces.
At both sites the public will also be able to see an augmented reality Dornier flying above the Museum, showing the aircraft as it would have been seen in 1940. Visitors will be able to view this through their smart phones and through specially created viewing equipment at the Museum. Additionally exhibits at both sites will display multi-media content – from footage of the Dornier in action in 1940, to film of the recovery operation.
AR applications:
- WarBot
- GlorAR – Augmented Reality Browser
- AMWAY SCANNER
- Interactive Wonders of the World Chart by Popar
- KUIO
- The Otherside Project
- Artfully Walls try on walls
- NGRAIN Augmented Reality Player
- Focus Active
- Dove Self-Esteem
- The Schick 33 Experience
- eKO ARt
- PAI Logo
- Italforni
- Cam2Def
- INVACARE AR
- Masquetela AR
- iTilt-iHit
- Virtual Mazda3
- Novi Sad Talking
- The Shooting Gallery
- Brabeia
- TAMUK
- Western Daily Press AR
- KPL Pump
- Magic Mag
- Haywood Academy AR
- SwitchUpTool
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