Virtual Reality

Epson America ships Android-powered Moverio BT-100 wearable display

Epson America ships Android-powered Moverio BT-100 wearable display
Epson America has announced that its Moverio BT-100 wearable display is now available in the U.S.
Epson America has announced that its Moverio BT-100 wearable display is now available in the U.S.
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A thin cable connects a smartphone-sized, touch-enabled trackpad controller powered by Android 2.2 to the head gear
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A thin cable connects a smartphone-sized, touch-enabled trackpad controller powered by Android 2.2 to the head gear
The Moverio BT-100 projection system explained
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The Moverio BT-100 projection system explained
Epson says that the system has the potential to be developed for training purposes, virtual 3D design environments, and enhancing static visual content (in art galleries or museums, for instance)
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Epson says that the system has the potential to be developed for training purposes, virtual 3D design environments, and enhancing static visual content (in art galleries or museums, for instance)
Future system development could include views through a camera onboard an RC-controlled model plane
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Future system development could include views through a camera onboard an RC-controlled model plane
Detachable earphones are plugged into the unit's arms for Dolby Mobile Surround Sound
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Detachable earphones are plugged into the unit's arms for Dolby Mobile Surround Sound
Projected light is balanced against the intensity of light from the outside world so that the wearer can see his or her surroundings and images from the LCD panel in the same field of vision
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Projected light is balanced against the intensity of light from the outside world so that the wearer can see his or her surroundings and images from the LCD panel in the same field of vision
Epson America has announced that its Moverio BT-100 wearable display is now available in the U.S.
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Epson America has announced that its Moverio BT-100 wearable display is now available in the U.S.
View gallery - 7 images

Initially released in Japan last November, Epson has now announced Stateside availability for its Moverio BT-100 wearable display. The rather chunky eyewear projects images onto a virtual floating screen in front of the user that grows in size the further away the wearer stares into the distance - up to the equivalent of a 320-inch screen at a distance of 65 feet (20 meters).

Epson started work on the BT-100 head-mounted display system at the close of 2009. The finished product features an HTPS panel mounted in each of the arms. Projected light travels through a sheet-like light guide, bounces off a half mirror and then onto each of the wearer's eyes. Epson says that the "projected light is balanced against the intensity of light from the outside world so that the wearer can see his or her surroundings and images from the LCD panel in the same field of vision."

Projected light is balanced against the intensity of light from the outside world so that the wearer can see his or her surroundings and images from the LCD panel in the same field of vision
Projected light is balanced against the intensity of light from the outside world so that the wearer can see his or her surroundings and images from the LCD panel in the same field of vision

For added comfort, Epson has placed generous padding on the inside of each arm, and the unit comes with three different sizes of nose pads and removable transparent lens shades. Detachable earphones are plugged into the unit's arms for Dolby Mobile Surround Sound and the BT-100 can also be placed over the top of existing spectacles. The virtual screen resolution is quoted as being a quarter of Full HD, and as such is not likely to pose too much of a threat to the latest - much cooler looking - offerings from Vuzix.

A 3.7 mm diameter cable connects a smartphone-sized, touch-enabled trackpad controller powered by Android 2.2 to the head gear. Content can be streamed to the system over an 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi connection or fed in from the 1 GB of internal storage or via the included microSD media card slot (the Moverio BT-100 is supplied with a 4 GB card). Users can also take advantage of Adobe Flash 11 support to browse the web or play games. The system's rechargeable battery is said to give around six hours of usage on a single charge.

In addition to providing users with mobile movie entertainment, Epson says that the system has the potential to be developed for training purposes, virtual 3D design environments, and enhancing static visual content (in art galleries or museums, for instance).

The Moverio BT-100 is available now direct from Epson for US$699.99.

Source: Epson

View gallery - 7 images
8 comments
8 comments
SeekMocha
How does this work for people like me who wear glasses?
Alexander Barnes
@SeekMocha
"...Detachable earphones are plugged into the unit's arms for Dolby Mobile Surround Sound and the BT-100 can also be placed over the top of existing spectacles. ..."
Third paragraph.
sascha.kremers
Gizmag editors, please don't use these ridiculous sizes without irony.
A 320 inch screen at 20 meters may sound impressive, while an 8 inch display at your desk (0.5m way) sounds quite pitiable.
But both have the same perceived size. So we're not talking about the size of a movie screen, but that of an iPad at arms length.
Paul van Dinther
Good on you Sascha Kremers for pointing that out. These kind of numbers are used a lot with HMD's
The numbers represent a 22.8 degree Field of view along the screen diagonal which is quite narrow.
For me HMD's need to be about immersion which means large field of views of 45 degrees or more
Matt Rings
@sascha.kremers. THANK YOU for that post... I was thinking the same thing. They might as well say "It's a 320 foot screen at an 1/8th of a mile!"... sheesh.
It's also poor form to mix metric and non-metric measurements in the same sentence/article.
snappys.org
I'm not one prone to knocking the efforts of others, especially considering that we are in the same business as this, making glasses with contained electronics, however, these are terrible Epson, what on earth are you thinking?
They look like something from 10 years ago, and their specifications are outdated too. Look at the Vuzix alternatives on ebay for a third of the price.
yrag
Agreed all— that "equivalent of a 320-inch screen at a distance of 65 feet (20 meters)" is just SO ridiculous!
PG
These look clunky, heavy and awkward. WHY would you buy something that looks like a prototype?