AR Hardware

Who needs a monitor when you have your own pair of tethered AR glasses?

Earlier this week, human-computer interaction Sightful unveiled Spacetop, a personal computing device that allows you to access vital web applications from the comfort of your own virtual workspace. Instead of a conventional computer monitor, you view content using tethered augmented reality (AR) glasses.

Designed for the “work from anywhere” movement

Each Spacetop comes equipped with a pair of NReal AR glasses, allowing you access to the proprietary Spacetop environment where you can work on Google Docs, join Zoom calls, and perform various other tasks via a series of 13″-16″ screens. According to Sightful, users can bring a multi-monitor setup with them on the go while keeping their work hidden from watchful eyes.

“Two worlds sit at a crossroads: Laptops are the centerpiece of our daily working lives, but the technology has not evolved with the modern, work from anywhere, privacy matters, ‘road warrior’ mentality,” said Tamir Berliner, CEO and co-founder of Sightful, in an official release.

“Meanwhile, augmented reality (AR) is full of potential and promise, but is yet to find its daily use case. We are at the perfect moment for a significant paradigm shift in a device we all know and love, and Spacetop Early Access is the first step in that journey.”

“To date, every other company’s approach to AR has, ironically, been completely removed from reality,” added Eden Shochat, Equal Partner at Aleph.

“Sightful focused on an immediate utility which advances human productivity, a personal passion of mine; rather than trying to convince the world that we need to live in a metaverse or create an entirely new way of working, they focused on building a product people can use now. This is the right approach, at the right moment, with the right team charting a new path for an everyday device, similar to the iPhone or Roadster before them.”

The Spacetop Early Access program is currently open to 1,000 early adopters. Those interested can apply for access over at sightful.com.

Feature Image Credit: Sightful

Immersive technology could play a major role in the future of automotive manufacturing.

Earlier this year we reported on the Audi activesphere, a unique concept vehicle featuring a virtual user interface powered by augmented reality (AR) technology. This week the German automotive manufacturer revealed that the next-gen car was actually developed using AR technology as well.

The Audi activesphere does away with conventional button and touchscreen controls in favor of a virtual interface accessible using AR glasses. The system can tell what part of the vehicle you’re looking at and display interactive controls for each corresponding component. Looking at the AC fans, for example, reveals several temperature controls accessible via hand-tracking technology.

“Removing physical displays and touchscreens creates a new experience space for the passengers while using the power of mixed reality opens up new possibilities to intuitively integrate them into the mobility ecosystem and it goes even beyond the car,” said Jan Pflueger, creative technologist at Audi Design in an official release.

In order to bring this futuristic system to life, Audi used the Magic Leap 2 mixed reality headset in combination with the Audi Design Studio, which has been used to design the company’s fourth sphere concept car.

“The centerpiece of the new system is innovative mixed reality headsets – available individually for each driver and passenger. Users also have access to a comprehensive digital ecosystem while they’re in the Audi activesphere,” the company said in a press release.

“The Audi activesphere concept is the first to use a pioneering generation of this technology, which in turn adds the dimension of interaction to the dimension of superimposed real and digital worlds. With unprecedented optical precision, highest resolution, and excellent contrast, the system brings control surfaces and displays, invisible to the unaided eye, into the user’s field of vision while behind the steering wheel.”

For more information check out the full update here.

Feature Image Credit: Audi

New filings point towards new XR hardware on the way.

It’s been rumored that Samsung is working on a smart ring that can be used in tandem with a pair of custom augmented reality (AR) glasses, and based on a recently uncovered trademark filing by Samsung registering the names “Galaxy Ring” and “Galaxy Glasses,” it appears as though the gossip could be true.

In October, a rumor emerged claiming that Samsung was working on a smart ring that uses multiple sensors to give you important health data throughout the day, much like a modern smartwatch. This was related to a patent for a device that was reportedly equipped with such sensors.

Based on said filings, the rumored Galaxy Ring tracks various activities and health metrics and is capable of taking blood pressure readings, similar to the capabilities of the Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro.

This isn’t Samsung’s first attempt at a smart ring. Back in 2015, Samsung filed a different patent for a smart ring that never came to be.

The trademark for the Galaxy Ring was granted by KIPRIS, which describes the wearable as a “smart device for measuring health indicators and/or sleep in the form of a ring.” The application for the trademark doesn’t provide much information about the rumored Galaxy Ring. It’s also possible that the South Korean company will unveil other wearable devices in 2023.

Aside from the Galaxy Ring, the company also filed a patent for Galaxy Glasses, an AR device capable of projecting virtual data over the real world. It’s possible that the project is getting closer to reality after the company unveiled its XR platform during its Unpacked event on February 1st, 2023.

Earlier this month, it was announced that Samsung is partnering with Google to develop new XR technology. Google SVP of Android, Hiroshi Lockheimer, talked about the future of XR technology, calling it, “An exciting space where Google has been investing in for a long time across both experiences and technology is AR and VR. These technologies are integral to the new phase of computing as it can change the way we interact with people and information to get things done in the real world.”

Unlike the rumored Apple AR headset, which has seen its fair share of concept art, rumors, and “insider information,” floating around the internet, Samsung has managed to remain tight-lipped regarding its future XR plans. Other than the uncovered trademark, there’s been a lack of news about Samsung’s possible AR goals. This doesn’t indicate that Samsung isn’t taking AR seriously; it could just mean that the company is taking a slower approach in order to get the technology right.

According to the KIPRIS application, the trademark indicates that the Galaxy Glasses will be used for various applications, such as VR and AR. It also states that the devices trademarked by Samsung are tagged under “headset for virtual reality experience,” “headset for augmented reality experience”, “smart glasses”, “smartphone”, and “headphone.”

How the Galaxy Ring and the Galaxy Glass work together is still a mystery. That said, it’s easy to imagine how the devices could work in tandem. For example, instead of pulling out your Samsung smartphone and opening an app to access health records, you could simply look at your ring while wearing the AR glasses to access data instantaneously in AR. The ring could also be used to access menus or interact with your smartphone without the device having to leave your pocket.

It’s not clear when, or if, either of these products will see the light of day. That said, I could see myself jumping ship over to Samsung if the aforementioned products become available.

You can find additional details about the patent filing on the KIPRIS website by clicking here.

Feature Image Credit: Samsung