Pros
-Picture can look great
-Sleeker than BT-100
-Cheaper than Google Glass
-Runs full Android OS
Cons
-Awkward to wear, especially over glasses
-Image loses focus easily
-Still expensive
-Decreased resolution
-Big, awkward cord
Epson finally unveiled the successor to its Moverio BT-100
smart glasses at a pre-CES press conference, and understandably it's called the
Moverio BT-200.
The new Moverio is sleeker than its predecessor and cheaper
than Google Glass (though it's still expensive), and it comes with an
Android-powered handheld touchpad input device.
But somewhat contrary to Epson's message up until now, this
version of the Moverio is by no means focused solely on enterprise purposes.
That is what the company was showing off in December, but
with the new BT-200 comes a swathe of consumer-directed capabilities, from
games to a full version of Android.
The obvious changes
There are several important physical improvements in the
BT-200.
The new Moverio smart glasses project a transparent 960 x
540 resolution display (yes, it appears the resolution has been decreased from
the BT-100) in front of wearers' eyes using two projectors, and are capable of
projecting 3D images. Motion sensors detect the movements of your head, and
Dolby Digital surround sound pumps noise into your ears.
They also have a front-facing camera with an LED indicator
light, though we didn't get to test that out yet. It also has a microSDHC card
slot and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support.
The touchpad controller is technically new, although it's
more or less exactly what we saw Epson and APX Labs experimenting with late in
2013. They wouldn't confirm then that the touchpad would be the final input
solution, but here it is.
Unfortunately that also means you're constantly tethered to
a big, awkward cord when you're wearing it, so that's one down side.
As a result of having a reliable and consistent input source
the BT-200 is also confirmed to be running a full version of Android. The
versions available to test after Epson's CES press conference ran Android 4.0,
and apps could be selected easily using the touch pad to move a cursor.
The BT-200 is also much easier on the eyes, and on the face
- though it's still extremely awkward to wear it with glasses.
One thing Epson has done to alleviate that is to create a
special nose piece on the BT-200 that can fold down to rest on the
bridge of
your nose, or - this is the interesting part - fold upward to rest on top of
your glasses. This won't work for all glasses, particularly bigger, bulkier
frames, but should for some.
Mixing business with pleasure
But beyond those physical changes, it's fascinating that
Epson is not focusing on enterprise like it said it would be when we spoke with
representatives just weeks ago. Clearly this was the plan all along, but they
were determined to keep it under wraps until now.
Then, the Moverio was touted as a niche device that could be
used in offices and by manual workers like delivery people and field doctors.
Those applications are still present, but now they're being
mentioned in the same breath as games and entertainment.
During its presentation Epson also showed off applications
that could do things like helping a mechanic tear down an engine, reading QR
codes, and navigating indoor spaces.
After the press conference we tried out a game in which you
move your head in 360 degrees of space to target enemies and tap the Android
track pad to shoot them. It works well, though the fun of spinning in circles
for extended periods of time is questionable.
But there were several other games on display as well,
including one from Namco Bandai.
We also got to play around with the OS itself, and it really
does appear to be a fully-featured version of Android, albeit an old one.
And as before, the display that the Moverio BT-200 projects
in front of your eyes is of decent quality. It appears to be further away than
it is, and if the glasses aren't on properly each 960 x 540 image appears
distinct. It's jarring and a potential weakness for the device, particularly to
those who wear prescription glasses.
We'll find out either way when the Epson Moverio BT-200
launches in March 2014 for $699.99 (about £436, AU$780).
No comments:
Post a Comment