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Giving Smart Glasses Another Chance
November 26, 2018
 
Wearable smart glasses are a technology that has not really taken off among consumers. GoogleGlass, one of the first versions of this product, didn't catch on. Microsoft's HoloLens is used for augmented reality, and is marketed to business users.But it appears there's a renewed interest in the concept among major consumer electronics companies.Last year, Bloomberg reported that Apple is working on an AR headset. In August, the U.S. technology giantacquired Akonia Holographics, a company that makes lenses for such a product.Apple is not the only technology firm that wants to get in on the action. Facebookis working on AR glasses. Last month, Ficus Kirkpatrick, the social network's head of augmented reality, confirmed that an AR hardware product is in the works.Augmented reality is a technology that has been talked up by tech leaders including Apple CEO Tim Cook. And it's an area where analysts expect to see huge growth — albeit off a low base. Market research firm IDC expects just over 200,000 AR headsets to be shipped this year, rising to over 21.59 million in 2022. "AR headset growth may seem muted, but it's still very early days in this market," Tom Mainelli, vice president of devices and AR/VR at IDC, said in a report published in September.

Facebook’s Oculus applied for a patent on an electromagnetic cable connector for PC VR headsets. The concept is similar to the ‘MagSafe’ connector, which Apple MacBooks featured until recently. In current wired VR headsets if the cable Is stepped on or its too far from the PC, either the computer or the VR headset can be violently pulled out of position, which could cause equipment damage or even minor injuries, and is one of the reasons wireless is so desirable for VR. The concept of this patent seems to be that if enough force is applied, instead of pulling the PC or headset away the cable will simply detach, much like Apple’s MagSafe for laptops.
 
 
Figure 1: Electromagnetic Cable Connector

Source: USPO