Vuzix STAR 1200XLD Augmented Reality Glasses

Vuzix AR eyewear gear is used by researchers who are working on the future of contextual, wearable computing. Google Glass is geeky in hopes of being accepted as cool. The new Vuzix STAR 1200 XLD augmented reality glasses skip geeky and goes straight to nerdy, but that’s a good thing.

You’re more likely to see these in a university laboratory than in a cafeteria in Silicon Valley.

We think what Google is doing with glass is new, but scientists like Steve Mann have been working on the technology for 35 years. Mann’s research goes well beyond what Google is doing so far. In the future, the technology will go beyond augmenting reality and actually improve vision.

The 1200XLD is an upgrade to the previous 1200XL. The new version is all digital.

The STAR 1200XLD is a see-through AR-enabled binocular Video Eyewear with a 35 degree field of view. In contrast to virtual reality glasses that obscure vision, this display allows users to view the real world while simultaneously viewing relevant computer generated information, graphics and alerts.

The STAR 1200XLD also supports audio and 2D or 3D video to virtually all HDMI-out devices. You can connect a single video eyewear model to products ranging from computers to smartphones.

The STAR 1200XLD has a native 16:9 format with full color WVGA (852 x 480) displays which is seen as a single 75? virtual display (if you were standing 10 feet away from the screen). Adjustable eye-separation and AccuTilt® technology delivers visual clarity and display quality.

Basic use is as simple as plugging the HD camera into a USB port and the HDMI cable into any HDMI equipped host device. The STAR 1200XLD camera and display system are industry standard and compatible with most Windows based AR authoring software. The camera is 1080p HD camera features an integrated head tracker.

Paul J. Travers , Vuzix’s President and CEO, commented, “We are very proud to offer the world’s best selling see-through augmented reality eyewear systems. Some of the leading researchers around the world are using our STAR 1200XL to develop new ways to integrate AR into products from cars to sales and marketing tools, to assistive medical solutions. Vuzix is leading the evolution of AR into becoming accessible to the enormous consumer market. While the STAR 1200XLD is currently a tool for the research market, it utilizes our core technologies that are being integrated into our upcoming smart glasses for the consumer market.”

A Software Developer Kit (SDK) is available for free download from the Vuzix website.