News: Epson Launches AR App to Control DJI Drones via Moverio Smartglasses

Smartglasses maker Epson remains the top gun in the drone market with its Moverio line of wearables, and the company is further elevating its offerings with its new Drone SoAR app for DJI drones.

Made for the Moverio BT-300 Drone Edition, the app lets pilots view their drones' flight path and control the machine's flight without having to look down at their controller.

For the most part, the app functions as a heads-up display, showing vital drone data, such as flight status, altitude, and battery level. Pilots can also download maps to the app that they can view during flight, and the app can warn pilots of flight restrictions based on their GPS location.

Nevertheless, the Drone SoAR app does pack a couple of augmented reality features to assist pilots as they navigate the skies, such as the Find my Drone feature, which provides directional guidance to the user to orient their view with the drone's position in the sky. The app can also visualize flight paths as lines in the pilot's field of view.

"At Epson, we are focused on expanding the drone market and providing cutting-edge AR technology that will make it more accessible for consumers," said Eric Mizufuka, product manager for augmented reality solutions at Epson America, in a statement. "With this app, training to be a better drone pilot has never been easier."

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Currently available on the Moverio apps market, the app was developed by YML, the team that previously partnered with Epson and DJI on the AR Flight Simulator app.

"By combining the power of augmented reality delivered by the Epson Moverio BT-300 AR smartglasses and YML's superlative design, the heads-up app is redefining the way drone enthusiasts experience their aircraft," said Romsin Oushana, product marketer for DJI Partnerships. "Available to the consumer market for the first time, the app enables users to push the limits of drone piloting in ways that have never been done before."

And as far as niche markets for smartglasses go, Epson has selected a fairly lucrative market to purse, as the global drone market, including consumer and enterprise segments, is expected to grow to $129.3 billion by 2028.

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