This past Tuesday, I had the opportunity to attend the 6th Augmented World Expo in Santa Clara. It was the biggest augmented reality conference in the world, with over 200 companies and 3000 attendees, proving that the hype around augmented and virtual reality has not yet died down. Looking back on all the technologies I saw, it’s easy to see why; of the 200 companies demoing, every one of them had a unique concept or angle behind the product they were developing, displaying the endless possibilities of virtual reality in everyday life. On a more personal note, it also showed me that augmented reality has incredible potential in the field of robotics, by enhancing computer vision capabilities, and leading to more automation and less teleop.
I found the most interesting application of smart glasses to be developed by a company in the startup alleyway named VA-ST. VA-ST was founded by students at Oxford University with the intention of using computer vision and smart glasses to enable visually impaired people to see more clearly. This is done through a process of locating relevant contours and then highlighting them by emphasizing contrasts and using bold lines.
Real-time feed of what the VA-ST display looks like.
The really clever aspect of this process is the fact that they also use distance as a filter, so people that are closer are shown in great detail while objects further away are not, in order to keep the field of vision from becoming cluttered and confusing to see. Equally as impressive was the demonstration of the glasses in a poorly lit area – the darker it was, the better they performed. VA-ST is currently in the process of testing their product with users but has met with huge success so far, so it’s very possible that this will become available soon!
On a more well-known note, I also got the chance to try out a prototype of the Oculus Rift with Intel’s new RealSense camera! The RealSense camera contains three lenses: an infrared camera, an infrared laser projector, and a regular 2D camera. Coupled together, these enable RealSense to create 3D scans of physical objects, use depth perception to see distances in pictures, and show holographic displays, to name a few capabilities. When used with the Oculus Rift, it has the potential to make the virtual gaming headset even more immersive by allowing the user to use their hands, interact with objects in the real world, and more accurately view the world around them. When wearing the Oculus Rift, I played a simple riddle game that involved looking at a (real) glass on the (real) table, watching the objects be manipulated virtually, and following virtual instructions to find the passcode to a lock. While the game was very primitive and was intended solely as a proof-of-concept, it was obvious that using these technologies would greatly enhance gaming or entertainment.
Getting a chance to try the Oculus Rift with RealSense!
Night vision goggles with the ARC4 attached.
Other booths of interest were ARA, Atheer, and Optinvent. ARA is a research and engineering company that has geared their work in augmented reality towards military. Their device is ingeniously designed to work with the existing night vision goggles and helmets that soldiers already use, and is intended to provide a display with a map of their teammates that updates and they turn their head, along with a display of pertinent information such as objectives or communication.
Atheer created AiR SmartGlasses, which are currently the only glasses that are gesture-controlled and enable users to see an overlay of information over the task they are performing. The demo showed a surgeon using these to see critical health information of a patient while operating on them, and a worker receiving step-by-step instructions on something they were building. The use of gesture is especially important in these jobs, because they are unable to constantly waste time by reaching up to select something on their glasses, making this even more useful.
Optinvent’s headphones.
A company that took a more unique approach to their product was Optinvent – they chose to focus more on user interaction by creating a set of headphones that have a built-in monocular virtual display. This not only removed the issue of short battery life and the bulky glasses, but made it appear more natural for a consumer to use. The headphones make it seem like a natural extension to have a small display for watching music videos or movies while listening to something. This was one of the few products that truly seemed successfully tailored towards the general public and consumers, so I’m interested to see how they do.
The final booth that we visited was APX Labs. APX Labs provides a platform, known as Skylight, for smart glasses. This platform is typically used in the industry, to provide entry level workers instructions, distances to objects, or on-site training. Another useful ability is the ability for an overseer to view exactly what the worker is, so they can remotely train multiple people, saving both time and money.
APX Labs display!
At the end of last year, Boeing selected Skylight to use as their platform for workers to use during assembly or repairs. It is not the only company to do so, as Microsoft and SAP, to name a few, have also begun using the platform.
As far as my work this summer at Progress Software goes, I will be collaborating with APX Labs to work with Skylight to develop more applications and uses, and I am incredibly enthused about starting!
**NOTE: All photo credit goes to Eduardo Pelegri-Llopart**
Shivali Chandra 