When it comes to virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) hardware tends to be big and bulky, however Kopin wants to change this by making smaller chips made for VR and AR. VRFocus spoke to Stuart Nixdorff, Senior Vice President of Kopin, about how their engineers are designing ultra-small 4K display chip as well as their head mounted display (HMD) called Elf VR.
Created in partnership Goertek Inc., the Elf VR headset is equipped with Kopin “Lightning” OLED microdisplay panels, which feature 2048 x 2048 resolution of each panel, to provide binocular 4K image resolution at 120Hz refresh rate.
Kopin’s products range from ultra-small displays, optics and speed enhancement technology, to head-gesture command, low-power ASIC’s, packaging and system reference designs. Their costumers range from consumers to enterprise, as well as military. Nixdorff explains that they’re very much like Intel, working on core display and component technologies.
Kopin’s presence at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2017 means that they are interested in working together with developers working in the videogame industry throughout North America. Nixdorff explains that the Elf VR HMD is open to the first hundred developers as well as OEM companies, with no public pricing. He showcases their small chip in the video and explains how Elf VR has a small component new display technology that is capable of 4K displays and only an inch in size. He claims that the chip can significantly increase the resolution of the display inside the HMD. When asked which companies Kopin are working together with Nixdorff says various companies from the US, Europe and Asia.
The Elf VR has no AR capabilities, however Nixdorff says that Kopin engineers are busy trying to make both VR and AR more accessible to consumers by making consumer hardware products smaller, lighter and easier form factors. He explains that both the Oculus and HTC Vive developer kit was bulky and large in size, whilst Elf VR is their first developer kit and significantly smaller in size.
Whilst this video was made at E3, Elf VR has been shipping over the summer and will be coming out early 2018. Kopin will be at CES 2018, Las Vegas, next month, with various products in both VR, AR and audio. VRFocus will keep you up to date on the company’s latest products, but to find out more watch the video below.
Auf der E3 2017 konnte Road To VR erstmals einen Prototypen der Kopin-Brille unter die Lupe nehmen, dessen Mini-Displays eine rekordverdächtige Pixeldichte von 2900 ppi bieten und besonders kompakte und leichte Headsets ermöglichen. Ganz ausgereift ist die Sache allerdings nicht und man kann erst Ende 2018 mit einem fertigen Produkt rechnen.
Elf Headset von Kopin: Revolutionäres Lightning-Display weiter in Entwicklung
Auf dem Datenblatt klingt es fantastisch: Das lediglich ein Zoll große Lightning-Display des Herstellers Kopin löst mit 2048 x 2048 Pixeln auf und erreicht damit eine Pixeldichte von 2900 ppi. Das winzige Displays scheint damit ideal für VR-Brillen zu sein, denn es verspricht wesentlich leichtere und kompaktere Headsets bei gleicher oder besserer Abbildungsleistung wie heute üblich. Der Prototyp von Kopin, das Elf Headset, wiegt lediglich 200 g und damit weniger als die Hälfte von Oculus Rift und HTC Vive. Allerdings fehlt dem Leichtgewicht auch erschwerende Zugaben wie Tracking-Technik und Kopfhörer. Bei der Bildwiederholrate von 120 hz kann das Lightning-Display ebenfalls punkten.
Das 2K-Display von Kopin überzeugt durch seine hohe Pixeldichte
Drei Linsen, drei Sichtfelder, einige Probleme
Also alles wunderbar? Nicht ganz. Ein zweites Hands-on brachte die Probleme des Systems zum Vorschein, und die bestehen hauptsächlich in der Bildhelligkeit und dem Sichtfeld. Die Helligkeit des Elf Headsets war deutlich zu dunkel. Kopin versprach, dass man daran arbeite, die Helligkeit zu verdoppeln. Das andere ist das Sichtfeld, das beim ersten Prototypen nur 70 Grad betrug. Zwei weitere Headsets-Designs konnten mit 80 und 100 Grad ein weiteres Sichtfeld bieten. Der Prototyp mit 80 Grad nutzte wie die Oculus Rift und HTC ViveFresnel-Linsen. Das Bild war wesentlich heller als bei der 70-Grad-Brille. Bei dem Headset mit 100 Grad ohne Fresnel-Linsen war das Bild wieder zu dunkel. Außerdem störte die Immersion, dass der Tester die Bildschirmränder sehen konnte. Im direkten Vergleich gefiel ihm das 80-Grad-Modell am besten.
Fertiges Produkt nicht vor Ende 2018
Nun hofft Kopin zusammen mit dem Hersteller des Elf Headsets Goertek, dass man einen Kunden findet, der aus dem Prototypen ein Produkt machen will. In einem Gespräch mit einem Partner der Firmen, der als Hersteller hinter der Oculus Rift und PSVR steckt, hat Road To VR nun mehr erfahren. So soll ein fertiges Produkt erst Ende 2018 erscheinen können. Ein Grund ist nicht nur die Kundensuche von Kopin, sondern auch die weitere notwendige Entwicklungsarbeit an Display und Linsen. Außerdem mangelt es derzeit noch an der Fertigungskapazität. Im Jahr 2019 will der Hersteller aber in der Lage sein, fünf Millionen Headsets zu produzieren. Außerdem plant man, mit 150 Millionen US-Dollar eine Fabrik bauen zu können, um größere Displays mit noch höherer Auflösung fertigen zu können. Die böten beispielsweise eine 4K-Auflösung auf 1,37 Zoll.
After we went hands-on with Kopin’s prototype headset featuring their 2K VR micro display last week, people are curious to know when the screens might actually hit the market. Speaking with Kopin and manufacturing partner Goertek, the companies tell us that the first products incorporating the ‘Lightning’ display are expected by the end of 2018.
We explained in our hands-on that although functional, the Kopin ‘Elf’ headset isn’t a consumer product but actually a demo for the company’s 2K 120Hz Lightning display:
One important thing to remember is that Elf headset is not going to become a product, it’s simply a pitch for Kopin’s VR microdisplays and Goertek’s manufacturing capabilities. The company’s hope is that a consumer electronics company will want to produce a product based on the Lightning display, and the Elf headset is the demo to sell them on the form-factor that it enables. Goertek says that the companies are “actively marketing” the Elf headset to potential consumer electronics companies. That means that an end product containing Kopin’s Lightning display might end up looking quite a bit different than the Elf headset today. In fact, although Elf is tethered, Kopin says that the foundation of the headset is also suitable for all-in-one mobile VR headsets.
Speaking with Goertek—Kopin’s partner and one of the manufacturers behind the Oculus Rift and PSVR—at the company’s Silicon Valley office, I was told that the first products to launch with the Lightning display are expected toward the end of 2018, which puts products around five quarters away.
Photo by Road to VR
Part of the gap between now and then is finding partners who are convinced by the Elf headset demo and decide to build a product based on the components; Kopin and Goertek are in the process of demonstrating the headset to a range of companies.
The big pitch for the Elf headset is its impressively compact size and diminutive weight; the prototype I tried was just 220 grams, less than half the weight of the Rift and Vive (though to be fair it’s just a demonstration of the display, and lacking some extra hardware found on most headset). And of course it’s backed by the incredibly sharp 2K Lightning display which has more than three times the pixels of today’s leading headsets, and a whopping 120Hz refresh rate (though, as I found in my hands-on, those benefits may come at the cost of a lower field of view).
Another reason for the delay is that the display and the lenses are still in active development; it will be some time yet until Kopin is pumping them out at manufacturing quantities. The companies expect that in 2019 they would have the manufacturing capacity to create some 5 million headsets.
A test board and headset used by Kopin to demonstrate their Lightning displays with several different lenses | Photo by Road to VR
Before that time though, there’s still a few kinks for Kopin to work out. For one, depending upon which optics they use, the display needs to be brighter. They told me that they expect to be able to double the brightness by the time they begin shipping displays, but it isn’t clear if they’ll have enough brightness to enable low-persistence, a key technique for reducing blur as users turn their heads in the virtual environment. The company also showed me three different lenses, each of a different design and offering a different field of view, though they’re still in development as well.
One big question for Kopin is whether traditional display manufacturers will be able to ship next-gen VR displays ahead of the Lightning display, potentially offering another route to bringing greater pixel density to VR headsets. For instance, Samsung demonstrated a new 2K VR display back in May, though it isn’t clear when they’ll be ready to sell the part to headset makers.
In the long term, Kopin and Goertek say they’re investing $150 million to create a new display fabrication plant which will enable them to make larger and higher resolution VR micro displays. According to the companies’ roadmap, they’re aiming to make a 1.3-inch 3K display followed by a 1.37-inch 4K, in due course.
Here’s our roundup of news from E3 day 3. We go hands on with newly announced PSVR titles Moss and The Impatient. Archangel and Sparc for PSVR get a release dates, more details of Gran Turismo Sport‘s VR support are revealed and we go hands on with Kopin’s 2k per eye, super lightweight microdisplay VR headset.
We tried a short demo of newly-announced VR title The Inpatient, one of two new PSVR games from Supermassive Games. The psychological horror game is set in the Blackwood Sanatorium featured in Until Dawn (2015), with the demo showcasing some ‘intensely human-like character animations and excellent voice acting’.
Gran Turismo Sport shown on PSVR with significant limitations:
Halb so groß wie andere PC-VR-Brillen, federleicht und ultrahochauflösend: Der Display-Hersteller Kopin stellt eine neue VR-Brille vor, die es in sich hat und zumindest auf dem Datenblatt überzeugen kann. Zum Einsatz kommen zwei OLED-Microdisplays des Herstellers mit einer Rekord-Pixeldichte von 2900 ppi. Das Gehäuse der Brille liefert der Peripherie-Hersteller Goertek.
Kopin: Leichter und ultrahochauflösender VR-Headset-Prototyp
In einem Hands-on konnte Ben Lang von Road To VR den Prototypen der Kopin-Brille auf der E3 in Los Angeles unter die Lupe nehmen und berichtet über seine Erfahrungen mit dem Headset: Er beschreibt sie als halb so groß wie übliche VR-Brillen und als federleicht, selbst im Vergleich zur Samsung Gear VR und Google Daydream View. Die kompakte Bauform ermöglichen die Microdisplays, die der Hersteller entwickelt hat: Der Lightning-Bildschirm ist lediglich ein Zoll groß, versammelt aber 2048 x 2040 Bildpunkte auf seiner winzigen Fläche. Die Pixeldichte beeindruckt: 2900 ppi schafft der winzige Bildschirm. Zum Vergleich: Die Oculus Rift verwendet zwei 3,54 Zoll Displays mit je 1080 x 1200 Bildpunkten. Die Pixeldichte ist mit 456 ppi deutlich geringer. Auch in einem anderen Bereich müssen sich die aktuellen PC-VR-Displays geschlagen geben, denn die Lightning-Bildschirme erreichen eine Bildwiederholrate von 120 Hz.
Das Lightning-Display: 1 Zoll groß, 2K-Auflösung und 120hz
Microdisplay: die Vor- und Nachteilen
Der große Vorteil von Microdisplays: Sie ermöglichen eine kompaktere Bauform der VR-Brillen, da der Abstand zwischen Linsen und Display geringer sein kann als bei größeren Bildschirmen. Man kennt das Prinzip von Digitalkameras: Je größer der Sensor ist, umso größer muss auch das Objektiv sein. Kopin ist es deshalb mit dem Lightning-Display gelungen, ihren Prototypen wesentlich kleiner und leichter als übliche VR-Brillen zu bauen. Allerdings gibt es auch einen – großen – Nachteil, nämlich das Field of View. Es ist mit Microdisplays wesentlich schwieriger, ein großes Sichtfeld zu erreichen, ohne dass zu starke Verzerrungen auftreten. Wieder analog zu Kameras: Je größer der Weitwinkel, umso eher verzerrt sich das Bild zu den Rändern hin. Um ein übliches Sichtfeld von 110 Grad zu erreichen, setzt Kopin Dual-Fresnel-Linsen ein. In Zusammenarbeit mit 3M entwickelte man zwar eine einfachere Lösung, die nur eine Linse benötigt, welche das Sichtfeld aber auf 100 Grad begrenzt.
Zukunftsaussichten: Micro wächst
Die Lösung des Problems sieht der Hersteller in einer Vergrößerung der Microdisplays. Im nächsten Schritt will Kopin 1,3-Zoll-Displays mit 3.072 x 3072 Pixeln und 1,37-Zoll-Displays mit 4.096 x 4096 Pixeln produzieren. Laut Hersteller wären allerdings 2-Zoll-Bildschirme für VR ideal.
Unklar ist noch, ob und wann es der jetzige Prototyp in den Markt schafft und wie überzeugend die Performance der VR-Brille wirklich ist und welche Rechenleistung für einen reibungslosen Betrieb notwendig ist. Da kein entsprechender PC auf der E3 vorhanden war, konnte Kopin die Brille nicht im Einsatz zeigen.
Kopin is touting a new prototype VR headset featuring their 4K OLED ‘Lightning’ microdisplay that they say is made specifically for VR. At nearly half the size of other headsets, and made from lightweight materials, the device feels featherlight compared to VR products on the market today.
Update (8/19/17): Following my hands-on with Kopin’s ‘Elf’ headset at E3 where I got to look at the form-factor, I recently met with the company at the Silicon Valley offices of Goertek—Kopin’s manufacturing partner—to get a look inside a working demo of the headset.
Side and Weight
Photo by Road to VR
The functional Elf headset prototype was the same impressively small form-factor as I saw previously, featuring a pair of Kopin’s 1-inch ‘Lightning’ displays each with a 2,048 x 2,048 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. The headset isn’t just significantly more compact than others—at just 220 grams it’s less than half the weight of the Rift and Vive (though at this point it’s lacking integrated audio, IPD adjustment, or positional tracking tech, which would require additional hardware and weight).
Connection
Photo by Road to VR
The headset connected to the host PC with DisplayPort and USB plugs which came together into a single thin cable that plugs into the headset with a USB-C connector. Kopin has developed an OpenVR driver to allow the headset to operate with SteamVR content.
Dark (for now)
Photo by Road to VR
The demo I was shown through the Elf prototype was a SteamVR game called InMind 2 VR. In the demo I was looking at models of brain neurons. The first thing I noticed when I put on the headset was how dark the image was. I could see fine, but it definitely seemed darker than it should be. When I asked Kopin about this they said that the display isn’t finalized and they expect to double the brightness by the time they are manufacturing them for sale.
Field of View
The second thing I noticed was the field of view which felt much closer to Google’s Daydream headsets than what you’d be used to with the Rift, Vive, or PSVR. Kopin said the prototype I was looking through was a 70 degree field of view, and that they’re working on developing different lenses to offer 80 and 100 degree fields of view (and I got to look through early versions of those lenses; more on that later). On the 70 degree prototype, the ‘binocular’ feeling (of having very noticeable dark circles around your field of view) was quite apparent. Despite the incredibly smooth and sharp image I was seeing, the low field of view is an immersion killer so it’s a good thing that Kopin is also developing lenses with a wider view.
Image Fidelity
With more than three times the pixels than the Rift and Vive (2,048 x 2,048 vs. 1,080 x 1,200), it looked stunningly sharp (pixel density in this case is getting an extra boost from the lower field of view too). Individual pixels are all but invisible, and I couldn’t make out any screen door effect. Since the 70 degree FoV lens isn’t Fresnel, I didn’t see any god ray artifacts (which are prevalent on the Rift and Vive), nor did I spot any chromatic aberration. I didn’t see any obvious mura issues which is good, but would want more time in the headset to be sure that there is none. Also, because this is a micro OLED display, the blacks were very deep. However, I didn’t get a chance to see the right scene to assess whether or not there was any black-smearing present.
Distortion and Correction
The Elf headset is made entirely to show off the display and lenses, so right now there’s no positional tracking tech built in. That means that in my demo the headset was only tracking rotation. The tracking felt fine and seemed exceptionally ‘smooth’ (likely thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate) though as I turned my head I noticed quite a bit of distortion warping the view around the periphery which seemed to be due to the lenses. Kopin says they are still working on the driver for the headset and tweaking the distortion correction; they seem confident that once the lenses and driver are finalized they’ll be able to eliminate the warping.
The Cost of a Wider Field of View
Photo by Road to VR
I also got to see prototype versions of Kopin’s 80 and 100 degree field of view lenses (backed by the same Lightning display) which were hooked up to a test board rather than built into a headset. The 80 degree lens was a two-element Fresnel and was much brighter than the 70 degree or 100 degree. It was clear that the field of view on the 80 was wider, but since it wasn’t hooked up to a headset with headtracking, it was difficult to get a good sense for how immersive it could feel.
The 100 degree lens was a two-element non-Fresnel and it was dark like the 70 degree lens. Although the lens itself may provide a 100 degree field of view, at that field of view you can see the edges of the display which, in my opinion, is less immersive than having a smaller field of view where you can’t see the edges of the display.
Kopin plans to develop larger displays in the future, which could mean a larger field of view without visible edges, but they won’t be ready for several years yet. Given that, Kopin’s 80 degree field of view option seems to be the best sweet spot presently for immersion and image fidelity. The big question will be: to what extent are consumers willing to trade field of view for image fidelity?
Elf is a Pitch, Not a Product
Photo by Road to VR
One important thing to remember about all of the above is that Elf headset is not going to become a product, it’s simply a pitch for Kopin’s VR microdisplays and Goertek’s manufacturing capabilities. The company’s hope is that a consumer electronics company will want to produce a product based on the Lightning display, and the Elf headset is the demo to sell them on the form-factor that it enables. Goertek says that the companies are “actively marketing” the Elf headset to potential consumer electronics companies. That means that an end product containing Kopin’s Lightning display might end up looking quite a bit different than the Elf headset today. In fact, although Elf is tethered, Kopin says that the foundation of the headset is also suitable for all-in-one mobile VR headsets.
The original article continues below, which speaks to Kopin’s long term plans for developing VR displays (including those of higher resolution and large size), and the microdisplay vs. traditional approach to VR displays.
Original Article (6/14/17):Kopin is a publicly traded display manufacturer that was founded in 1984. With the massive buzz generated by VR, the firm has developed a roadmap for manufacturing displays specifically for VR headsets. Microdisplays by their nature are small and incredibly pixel dense, and also capable of high refresh rates.
The first microdisplay that Kopin is positioning for VR is what they’re calling ‘Lightning’, a 1-inch display with 2,048 x 2,048 per-eye resolution and running at a whopping 120Hz. With the Rift and Vive using displays of 1,080 x 1,200 pixels, Kopin’s Lightning display has just over 3.2 times as many pixels, and runs substantially faster than the 90Hz refresh rate of those headsets.
Photo by Road to VR
The tiny size of the microdisplay also brings another advantage: the potential for a much shorter focal length. Consumer VR headsets on the market are all roughly the same bulk size, not because we can’t design smaller enclosures, but because the physics of light requires that the displays be a certain distance from the lenses in order to present a focused image to the user’s eye. A smaller image allows for a shorter focal length, which means the displays don’t need to be as far from the lenses, potentially resulting in a much more compact headset.
Kopin has worked with Chinese ODM Goertek to develop a prototype VR headset that employs their Lightning microdisplay. The result is an incredibly compact and lightweight device that is an absolute joy to wear compared to the bulk of today’s consumer headsets.
Photo by Road to VR
I got to handle and wear a functional prototype at E3 2017, but unfortunately I didn’t actually get to see VR content through it since, according to the company, the only computer the company had on hand that was cooperating with the demands of driving a custom 4,096 x 2,048 resolution across both displays at 120Hz had to be shipped off to CES Asia (another conference which is also running this week). I expect to meet with Kopin again in the near future to see content running on the prototype headset; for now I can only talk about the form factor.
Compared to the consumer headsets on the market today, even the very lightest among them (like Gear VR and Daydream View) the Kopin prototype headset feels feather-light (note that it was missing a small driver-board for the displays which would add a slight bit to the weight). A single flexible strap that goes around the back of your head holds the device on your face with ease, no top strap required. The shell was made from a thin and extremely lightweight plastic. It was rigid, but it’s unclear to me if the durability of this material is enough to stand up to consumer usage; they may need to shift to a thicker or more durable material which could push the weight up some.
Photo courtesy Kopin
In photos alone it’s hard to appreciate how much smaller the Kopin headset is than others, but it feels much closer to the size and weight of a pair of ski goggles; it hugs close around your eyes without taking over so much of your face. It’s not nearly as ‘deep’ either, meaning it doesn’t jut out so far from your face. The slender profile compounds with the light weight since the leverage is not nearly as great as it would be with a bigger enclosure sticking further out from your face.
Photo by Road to VR
If and when most immersive VR headsets achieve this form factor, it’s going to make a massive difference in comfort and ease-of-use for VR.
VRFocus reported last week that the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2017 would feature many more virtual reality (VR) exhibitors than the 2016 event, and one of those is Kopin VR. For the event Kopin will be showcasing a new VR head-mounted display (HMD) called Elf VR.
Created in partnership Goertek Inc., the Elf VR headset is equipped with Kopin “Lightning” OLED microdisplay panels, which feature 2048 x 2048 resolution of each panel, to provide binocular 4K image resolution at 120Hz refresh rate.
The Microdisplay panels are manufactured using ultra-precise processing techniques, with its pixel density increased by approximately 400% compared to the conventional TFT-LCD, OLED and AMOLED display, claims Kopin. Elf VR also utilises an optical solution with a Multi-Lens design, reducing the thickness of its optical module by around 60%, and its total weight of by around 50%, as such it should improve the overall comfort for long durations. The design also supports two optics solutions – 70-degrees field-of-view (FOV) for or 100-degrees FOV for deep immersion.
There’s no release date or price just yet, but when the show opens VRFocus will be there to find out any further details.
Display specialists Kopin in partnership with Chinese company GoerTek have announced a new reference VR headset design that it claims is the smallest of its kind integrating the firm’s ‘Lightning’ OLED micro display panels sporting a substantial 2k x 2k resolution.
One of the key ‘most wanted’ advances desired in today’s retail virtual reality headsets is higher resolution displays. Recently we reported on Samsung’s prototype OLED panels sporting a PPI (pixels per inch) figure of 858, nearly twice that of the current generation HTC Vive and Oculus Rift headsets. Now, micro display specialist Kopin have unveiled a new reference design headset with displays that top even that.
The adorably named ‘Elf VR’ headset is equipped with two of Kopin’s “Lightning” OLED micro display panels, which each feature a 2048 x 2048 resolution, providing “binocular 4K image resolution at a 120Hz refresh rate” – a figure which is misleading as the horizontal resolution is ‘per eye’ and there cannot resolve the 3840 horizontal pixels required for an equivalent ‘UHD’ image (even ignoring the shortfall in vertical resolution). In case you’re wondering, each diminutive display represents an impressive 2940 pixels per inch – that’s five times the number on existing Samsung panels in the Vive and Rift.
A Kopin Micro Display [Image courtesy Kopin]Going by images included in our recent report on those prototype Samsung panels, this would substantially reduce screendoor effect, artifacts cause by the visible gap between display elements. What’s more, Elf VR should represent not only a great visual experience for traditional VR experiences, but also provide an impressive bump for 360 and standard movie watching too.
“It is now time for us to move beyond our conventional expectation of what virtual reality can be and strive for more,” explained Kopin founder and CEO John Fan as part of a recent press release. “Great progress has been made this year, although challenges remain. This reference design, created with our partner Goertek, is a significant achievement. It is much lighter and fully 40% smaller than standard solutions, so that it can be worn for long periods without discomfort. At the same time, our OLED microdisplay panel achieves such high resolution and frame rate that it deliver a VR experience that truly approaches reality for markets including gaming, pro applications or film.”
Of course, the other major statistic of interest for VR headsets is the expansiveness of the field of view (FOV) or, how much of your peripheral vision is encompassed by the image. With smaller displays come optical challenges in achieving immersive FOVs. Kopin claim are tackling this with a two-pronged approach. Their reference design includes two “Multi-lens” optical design branches. The first is a unit targeting the aforementioned media / movie watching category which offers a 70 degree FOV (it’s not stated if this is horizontal, vertical or diagonal) – which will present a sharper image with higher pixel density. The second offers a much greater 100 degree FOV, presumably at the sacrifice of optical sharpness.
Of course with smaller integrated panel hardware and these optical systems, the other benefit to Kopin’s approach could be weight advantages. Kopin claim it’s managed to reduce its optical module by 60% to leverage a 50% weight reduction – although as no numbers were provided we’re not sure what this comparison refers to.
As we’ve seen time and again since the start of the most recent VR renaissance, it continues to provide an impressive catalyst to accelerating technological innovation in multiple fields. And with both Samsung and Kopin already at a stage where they can produce next generation VR displays, it hopefully won’t be too long before we begin to see tangible upgrades over existing ‘first gen’ hardware. That ‘soon’ may mean mid 2018, at least according to Oculus founder Palmer Luckey, speaking in an interview recently.
Lenovo made a lot of headlines last week during CES with its variety of laptop and desktop computers, lackluster VR upscaling, and the (non-functional) debut of their Windows holographic VR headset. Through it all though, one bit of news went a bit under the radar, as the company announced they’ll be joining forces with wearable technology developer, Kopin Corporation, to craft cutting-edge augmented reality (AR) headsets. The combined efforts will be brought under the new banner of Lenovo New Vision.
Also during CES, Lenovo unveiled its New Glass C200 Smart Glasses, but this doesn’t appear to be directly related to the Lenovo New Vision announcement. This does however put Lenovo’s brand on separate pieces of both AR and VR headset technology, a move that’s relatively unique in these early stages of the immersive mixed reality market. Details were sparse regarding exactly what they’d be creating under the Lenovo New Vision name, what the form factor of the devices should entail, or how they would be used, but it’s an interesting development nonetheless.
“AR/VR is the next generation technology that will change the world after PC Internet and mobile Internet,” said Lenovo Capital and Incubator Group President, George He, in a prepared statement. “It is a required technology investment direction for virtually every enterprise. We truly value the cooperation with Kopin, and believe that this cooperation can further accelerate the growth of the enterprise AR market by bringing users optimized products and services.”
According to the release, the Kopin Corporation will primarily be responsible for supplying Lenovo with capital investment, industrial designs and know-how, as well as specific materials such as micro-displays, optics, software, and Whisper® Voice Chip.
At CES, we did see some big products in the AR space, such as ODG’s stylish glasses and the surprisingly wide field-of-view on Lumus’ AR solution. Of course Meta 2 was also on display and the Microsoft HoloLens continues to sustain its prominence in the AR display market, with Magic Leap slowly rumbling away in the dark corners of the industry, forever shrouded in secrecy.
Lenovo’s own investment group and wearable displays manufacturer Kopin Corporation have formed a joint venture named Lenovo New Vision. The combination of Lenovo Capital and Incubator Group’s (LCIG) global resources and Kopin’s wearable technology expertise hopes to grow the enterprise Augmented Reality market.
Since May 2016, the LCIG has been managing the initial $500 million from the Lenovo Capital Phase II Investment Fund in areas including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and Internet services. While the LCIG has supported a large number of startup companies, its latest venture is with Kopin Corporation, a leading developer and provider of wearable technologies, established in 1984. This creates a new subsidiary of LCIG called Lenovo New Vision which, according to the press release, ‘focuses on AR smart headsets for a broad range of enterprise applications’.
Both Lenovo and Kopin are separately showcasing VR and AR technologies at CES 2017, such as Lenovo’s VR headset prototype, and Kopin’s Whisper Voice Chip, a revolutionary speech recognition solution for wearables. The latter has been recognised as a CES 2017 Innovation Awards Honoree by the Consumer Technology Association, along with the Solos Smart Glasses using Black Pupil, the world’s smallest LCD module for smart glasses, as well as the K2000, the world’s highest speed, smallest form factor OLED MicroDisplay for VR.
“We are very excited to enter into a strategic relationship with Lenovo,” says Dr. John C.C. Fan, Kopin’s President and CEO. “By combining Kopin’s advanced wearable technology and Lenovo’s strength as a global IT and equipment solutions provider, both parties can accelerate the commercialization of AR products and succeed in the fast-growing China and global AR markets.”
In order to move the enterprise AR market forward, Kopin will provide a ‘small capital investment, industrial design solutions, and know-how to utilize key Kopin components to Lenovo New Vision, including the micro-displays, optics, software and Whisper Voice Chip’.
“AR/VR is the next generation technology that will change the world after PC Internet and mobile Internet”, says LCIG President George He. “It is a required technology investment direction for virtually every enterprise. We truly value the cooperation with Kopin, and believe that this cooperation can further accelerate the growth of the enterprise AR market by bringing users optimized products and services.”
