AWE 2024 Panel Discussion: Current State and Future Direction of AR Glasses
Jul 3, 2024
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A panel at AWE conference discusses the current and future state of AR glasses, considering Apple's Vision Pro impact, technical challenges, limitations, and design considerations. Topics include trade-offs in AR glasses, safety concerns, metamaterials, diffractive waveguides, AI interfaces, user-friendliness, market uses, and tech industry landscape.
AR glasses expected to gain mainstream adoption in enterprise before consumer market.
Apple Vision Pro emphasizes intuitive, hands-free interactions over gestures for user interface evolution.
Initial breakthrough in AR glasses may involve small field-of-view, monocular displays with challenges in user experience optimization.
Deep dives
Future of AR Glasses in Enterprise and Consumer Markets
In the near future, AR glasses are expected to become mainstream in the enterprise market within the next 24 months before gaining traction in the consumer market. The first breakthrough use case that might drive mass adoption is likely to focus on translation services, offering enhanced functionality and user experience. While pricing for such glasses may initially fall in the $200-$300 range, the timeline for AR glasses to completely replace smartphones is uncertain.
Evolution of User Interfaces and Interaction for AR Glasses
AR glasses like the Apple Vision Pro have revolutionized user interfaces by moving away from gesture controls and emphasizing more intuitive, hands-free interactions. However, challenges remain in reliability and multitasking capabilities, posing hurdles in achieving seamless user experiences. Apple's success in evolving user interaction highlights the importance of adaptive and user-friendly interfaces for widespread adoption.
Predictions and Challenges in AR Glasses Development
Experts predict that the initial breakthrough in the AR glasses market could involve small field-of-view, monocular, non-line-of-sight displays, potentially with monochrome visuals. This minimalist approach might cater to specific user needs before expanding to more advanced features. However, challenges in achieving optimum user experience, such as reliable content delivery, may impact the pace of innovation.
Safety Certification and Vertical Markets for AR Glasses
While AR glasses' potential in industrial safety applications remains untapped, the lack of certification and focus on utility hinder the development of safety glasses with integrated displays. Certification challenges related to material choice, display technology, and utility must be addressed to drive innovation in safety-focused AR glasses and expand into specialized vertical markets.
Innovative Display Technologies and Encasement for AR Glasses
Emerging display technologies, such as encased waveguides and LED-embedded frames, offer innovative solutions for AR glasses beyond conventional displays. The integration of advanced technologies like waveguides and encasement materials enhances functionality and customization options for AR glasses, paving the way for novel user experiences and applications.
Expansion and Diversification in AR Glasses Market
As the AR glasses market evolves, there is a shift towards niche applications and user-specific functionalities, signaling a move away from one-size-fits-all solutions. The diversification of AR glasses into vertical markets like translation services, safety applications, and industrial use cases underscores the need for tailored approaches and specialized features to drive widespread adoption.
I moderated a panel at the recent AWE conference that took place a couple of weeks ago in Long Beach, California. The panel featured Karl Guttag from KGOnTech, Adi Robertson from the Verve, Jeri Ellsworth from Tilt Five, and Ed Tang from Avegant.
The session was titled: Current State and Future Direction of AR Glasses and the session description reads:
A panel of experts will discuss the current and future state of AR spatial computing devices, given the influence of the new Vision Pro world. Has the Vision Pro influenced the XR industry to change the direction of the development of consumer-oriented devices? If so, what should those new directions be, and what limitations are there to implement them? The discussion will center upon examining the technical development of spatial computing with light weight glasses and the roles that they should now have.
You can find a video version of the session on the AWE Youtube channel, but presented here is an audio version I cleaned up a bit.