You may not have heard about Lumus Optical, but the company is ready to make a splash in the wearable technology world, after being on the outskirts for several years. However, while you may not ever wear a set of Lumus-branded glasses, you may eventually wear a pair containing Lumus’ technology. The firm wants to sell its products to other companies, which will then incorporate it in their own models.
What makes Lumus interesting (and a little bit cool) is where its tech has been seen so far. Most recently, a military equipment company called Raytheon showed a helmet for soldiers with a drop-down, transparent monocle called AWARE, which provides 3D visual data, targeting information, and the ability to send coordinates to a fighter jet just by looking at a target. Similar equipment on the pilot’s helmet provides visual guidance to the location. Think Universal Soldier, without having to be Dolph Lundgren or JCVD.
Lumus’ consumer efforts will be more about delivering notifications and showing GPS directions, than delivering payloads and raining down destruction. It has produced two reference design models, the DK-40 and the DK-32, both of which contain its Optical Engine Module. This is the item it wants to sell to other manufacturers. It’s an ultra-thin lens which unlike Google Glass, projects images and information right in front of the wearer’s eye, using tiny see-through elements. Lumus says it has a 720p resolution, and is the equivalent of viewing an 87-inch screen from 10ft away.
The Android-powered DK-40 uses a single Optical Engine Module, and comes equipped with a 5-megapixel camera, and an OMAP processor. It connects to an Android smartphone. The DK-32 has twin modules for a 3D image, but has a considerably more challenging design. Lumus says the glasses will display notifications, streaming video, breaking news alerts, GPS directions, and even teleprompter-style scripts. Check out the concept screenshots above for an idea of how using Lumus’ equipment may look.
At the moment, the only company utilizing Lumus’ tech is Meta, for its unfeasibly expensive – $3650 – Meta Pro sunglasses. Let’s hope when Lumus’ tech shows up elsewhere, it’ll be more affordable.
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