During Epson’s annual Media Thanksgiving junket, Fusion (this year entitled Fusion8), the printing and imaging giant gave a detailed report on their efforts of pushing for innovation within their product portfolio. While majority of the things discussed were mighty interesting (i.e. super high-res textile printing that helped Fashion Designer John Herrera nab the Britain’s Design Awards in London Fashion Week), what caught our attention is this nifty visor that looked like a lovechild between Microsoft’s Hololens and Google’s Google Glass.
The Moverio BT-300 is the latest iteration of Epson’s wearable tech line. Started in 2011, Epson has been improving on the hardware to make it easier to use. Less bulky than its predecessors, the BT-300 utilizes 2 Si-OLED (Silicon-based OLED) for crystal clear viewing.
We only had a few moments with it but within those few minutes, we were super geeking out on it.
Aside from the fact that it made me look like Cyclops and/or Solider 76 (great for cosplay, yo), the BT-300 has some amazing functionalities. Various app developers are already tinkering with the hardware to put more software that can coordinate with the device in an optimized manner.
In Fusion, the BT-300 was hooked up to a DJI Phantom Drone. This means your line of vision is exactly what the drone cameras pick up. N-E-A-T!
The Moverio BT-300 is controlled via a tactile device that functions similarly to an Android’s Operating System. You can also take photos or record videos if you wanted to via the camera hooked to the Moverio’s right-most lens. The camera is said to shoot at 720p (not that bad).
Fitting the device is also a joy as it weighs 20% lighter than its predecessor and has enough accessories that you can put it over your existing eyewear.
While functionality is a bit limited (drone, viewing gallery and taking photos/ and videos), the Moverio BT-300 is a step in the right direction particularly when it comes to AR (Augmented Reality). Having a semi-see through binocular allows you to view the screen and view what’s in front of you. Pokemon go, anyone? But as more and more apps and brands are understanding and harnessing the power of both VR and AR, devices like the Moverio will soon be device staples for future movers and makers. Here’s to seeing the future, Epson. Kudos!
The Moverio BT300 is currently available for Php 43,000+ in the market. Expect prices to go down as demand over AR wearables increases.