The Osterhout Design Group used to be a very quiet pioneering company in the world of augmented reality, until it cut a still-mysterious licensing and patent deal with Microsoft. The money seems to have gotten over its reticence; at Augmented World Expo today, the company announced a new and self-contained augmented reality goggle, the R7.
Calling it a “goggle” really doesn’t do the R7 justice. Company president Pete Jameson said the R7 “has all the power of a tablet in 5-ounce sunglasses.” And that’s really what it looks like: a set of black magnesium shades with maybe some additional stuff built into it.
That stuff includes a pair of 720p displays running at 80 frames per second. Batteries are built in, as are WiFi and Bluetooth LTE, and GPS radios. Sensors include an altimiter, compass, and a high-speed video camera that can shoot 1080p at 60 frames per second. It runs Android Kitkat 4.4.2.
Lightness aside, the company says the R7 is rugged enough for use in hostile enterprises including factory floor, security and defense, and energy. You’ll be able to buy it in the third quarter of the year for $2750. If you can’t wait that long, there’s a developers’ program, with a limited beta program presale.
