Header Banner
Next Reality Logo
Next Reality
Augmented & Mixed Reality News, Rumors & Dev Guides
nextreality.mark.png
AppleSnapAR BusinessGoogleInstagram | FacebookNFTHoloLensMagic LeapHands-OnSmartphone ARThe Future of ARNext Reality 30AR GlossaryARKit Dev 101What Is AR?Mixed RealityHoloLens Dev 101Augmented RealityHololens How-TosHoloLens v. Magic Leap v. Meta 2VR v. AR v. MR

New Consumer AR Smartglasses Contender Emerges with Action Air from China's Shadow Technologies

Mar 28, 2019 04:21 PM
Mar 28, 2019 04:23 PM
A person adjusting their sunglasses outdoors.

We last saw China-based augmented and virtual reality headset maker Shadow Technologies at last year's Augmented World Expo, where they had the Action One, one of the wildest augmented reality headsets we've seen, on display.

This week, the company re-emerged with Shadow Air, a refreshed, lightweight take on consumer-grade smartglasses for the next iteration of its Action line of AR wearables.

Weighing in at about 150grams (lighter than the iPhone XS), the Action Air is capable of a field of view of up to 60 degrees via a binocular display. The smartglasses run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and uses three cameras to enable 6DoF tracking. It delivers 3D content through a custom operating system called Blue Cat.

While the company's Action One from 2018 resembles a futuristic take on the HoloLens, the new Action Air resembles the Nreal Light, one of the show-stealers from CES 2019.

However, while the Nreal Light tethers to either a computer pack or a compatible smartphone, the Shadow Air embeds its processor within the device, as evidenced by the extra thick temples.

Based on the video unveiling the device, it appears that the Action Air will support both hand gestures and controller input, like the Action One. We've reached out to Shadow Technologies to confirm and obtain additional information.

Smartglasses for the consumer segment are the holy grail of the augmented reality industry, and, while the world waits for Apple to set the standard for smartglasses, it's the startups and lesser-known manufacturers that are stepping up to fill the void.

While Vuzix and North focus on lighter AR functions, Shadow Technologies joins Nreal among smartglasses makers attempting to bring true, immersive 3D content to consumer wearables.

Cover image via Shadow Creator/YouTube

Just updated your iPhone? You'll find updated Apple Intelligence capabilities, new wallpapers, and enhancements to Calculator, PDF cropping, and Live Voicemail, among other useful features. Find out what's new and changed on your iPhone with the iOS 18.3 update.

Related Articles

Comments

No Comments Exist

Be the first, drop a comment!