Augmented Reality Smart Glasses: Epson Announces Availability of Moverio BT-300 Developer & Drone Editions

The world of eyeglasses is certainly one where we’ve all seen progress by leaps and bounds in the past decades, whether we have the need to wear them ourselves or not. From glasses and frames that can be created quickly for the customer in designer styles, to virtual reality goggles and smart lenses, it’s as if we really can see into alternate realities and the future. And this trend continues now with Epson announcing the availability of their Moverio BT-300 Developer Edition—created just for developers—as part of their augmented reality (AR) smart eyewear platform. At the end of January, they will also be releasing the Moverio BT-300 Drone Edition for pilots, allowing for greater control of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s) with further optimized DJI hardware.

Developers using the BT-300 platform can create augmented reality that’s even more convincing, along with glasses offering the lightest Si-OLED (organic light emitting diode) digital display technology binocular. Powered by the Android 5.1 OS, the glasses run on a quad core Intel Atom X5 processor and are 20 percent lighter than the previous BT-200, along with offering a wider color spectrum. These glasses aren’t the typical bulky, boxy looking goggles one usually associates with AR and VR products but rather are sleek, modern, and very attractive. They offer comfort and are unobtrusive for the wearer in comparison to what might be expected—as well as being light and small enough to fit over your regular glasses, which is a big plus for those who need their prescription lenses to see!

The product retails at $779, also offering a five megapixel camera that is front-facing, with on-board sensors for recognizing objects to be rendered seamlessly.

“Now in our sixth year in the Augmented Reality eyewear space, Epson’s Moverio platform has driven interest and sales increases exponentially year after year. Our newest Moverio BT-300 will certainly drive our business to new highs,” said Eric Mizufuka, product manager, New Ventures for Epson America. “We’re especially excited to be partnered with DJI to make flying a safer and more productive experience.  We believe that piloting UAVs is one of our killer applications.”

The BT-300 Drone Edition, retailing also at $799, includes a DJI GO app and clip-on dark shades for users operating in the sunlight. Fasteners allow the controller to be connected to the DJI phone mount. The UAV pilot enjoys ‘crystal clear, transparent first person views.’ The view is convincing indeed. To see for yourself, check out the video below for an example—and most likely you’ll find yourself getting lost in the landscape.

As a worldwide leader in technology, Epson offers everything from the above mentioned products to inkjet printers, digital printing systems, sensing systems, robots for industrial work, and more. Led by Seiko Epson Corporation, headquartered in Japan, their group employees over 73,000 people in a total of 91 companies. See here for more on the Moverio experience and pre-order information. Discuss in the Epson forum at 3DPB.com.