Epson Adds Biometrics to its MOVERIO AR Smart Glasses Platform

Epson’s Moverio range of augmented reality (AR) smart glasses offer a range of uses, from industrial applications to drone flying and sports. Today, the company has announced a partnership with Bedrock Biometrics to bring its PalmID solution to the AR platform.

Epson Moverio BT-350

With this collaboration both Epson and Redrock Biometrics are looking to push both AR and virtual reality (VR) technology forward by introducing biometric authentication for a consumer AR headset. At the same time they’ll provide a software development kit (SDK) for developers to build biometrics into their videogames and applications.

“Epson collaborated with Redrock Biometrics to create an even more attractive platform for developers to create new games and applications,” said Leon Laroue, technical product manager at Epson America in a statement. “The ability to use biometric authentication opens the door to increased interactivity without disrupting the AR experience.”

PalmID uses the front facing camera built into the MOVERIO BT-300 Smart Glasses to convert the palm image into a unique signature, authenticating the user in less time than it takes to enter a password. In addition to a device unlock app for current MOVERIO BT-300 users, the PalmID SDK enables MOVERIO developers to build AR applications with secure biometric authentication for features such as secure sign in, in-app purchases and access security-sensitive assets.

“When using augmented or virtual reality headsets the face and eyes are covered and therefore not available for authentication. Fingerprint scanners require additional hardware built into the headset and blindly swiping, making them inconvenient and error prone. Palm-based biometrics provides the ideal combination of security and user experience for these devices,” adds Hua Yang, co-founder and CEO of Redrock Biometrics. “Epson has been a pioneer in AR, continuously pushing the industry forward. The PalmID SDK is another big step in bringing hands-free AR experiences to the masses.”

MOVERIO BT-300 users can download the PalmID app for free via the MOVERIO Apps Market. As for developers interested in PalmID, you’ll need to contact Redrock Biometrics. For any further updates from Epson, keep reading VRFocus.