Imagine one day you could see a NASA rocket taking off just
under your eyes or too the maximum a dinosaur coming towards you. The concept
of AR aka augmented reality does the same but if you have used AR app or
device, you could see that there are minimum functions and visual Quality is
not satisfactory.
So here comes the Magic Leap one through which you can not
only see the moving 3D objects but also record them with their sounds. It is
the highly advanced version of AR that you use today. Magic leap was founded by
2010 by Rony Abovitz in Florida, USA.
There has been so much Hype about this product which has been
funded by big names like Google who invested around 2.2 billion dollars in this
startup. Google has already made a similar kind of product called google glass
way back in 2013 which was a flop. As the tech market is flooded with AR
products, how can google be behind?
The 3 main parts
1. Lightwear aka Glasses – These glasses look exactly like the glasses in the
“Back to the future movie”. They have 6 cameras in total and two front glasses
in which chips are installed. They have silicon chips installed on them which
helps in projecting high quality images directly into the user’s Retina. It is
called lightwear as it is light in weight and not heavy as compared to other AR
devices like Microsoft Holo lens. It has better sensors and the unique thing
about magic leap one is that they have built in speakers for that real feeling.
It also has 3.5 mm earphone port and also voice input system provided. The
lightwear can be adjusted to any head size and is comfortable in wearing with
its stretchable back. I know many people who wear prescription glasses and have
difficulty in wearing both the 3D glasses and their personal glasses over one
another while watching a 3D movie. Same problem can occur with magic leap
glasses but don’t worry, there is a solution. You will be provided with your
preferred prescription lenses to be fitted in the glasses of lightwear.
2.
Lightpack aka CPU- It is a small device that can be carried easily by
fitting inside your pocket. It is the main processor of the whole magic leap
device and acts like CPU+GPU device and is connected to the lightwear through a
wire and controls the whole lightwear.
Its features include a CPU of 64 bit
core NVIDIA SOC and a GPU of NVIDIA Pascal with 256 CUDA cores and Vulkan API
for great gaming. It has got 8 GB RAM with 128 GB storage capacity for
recording and storing your creativity. It has in-built rechargeable lithium-ion
battery which maintains charge up to 3 hours on a single charge. It also has Bluetooth
and WiFi connectivity with USB-C port.
Lumin OS
Lumin is Linux based OS that is stored inside the Lightpack. It
is similar to the windows or android OS but for the glasses respectively.
Through the Lumin OS you can share your recordings or your viewings on the
glass in real time and you can even chat with other person who is using the
magic leap one. You can watch movies and even stream TV channels on to the
glass and enjoy your day. Lumin OS also has a built-in gallery where your
recordings of the 3D images and your creativity will be stored and organized.
You can even share these with your friends on the social media.
So basically with Lumin OS, magic leap is trying to bring an
alternative device to the mobile and laptop devices.
3. Controller aka mouse/keyboard- It is a handheld controller just like
the Playstation Move but way more advanced than the latter. It has trigger, a button
above the trigger, round trackpad and a tiny home button on the controller.
You
can use your control as a painting brush, as a tennis racket or for moving your
designed imaginative 3D home from one block to another on the AR screen. It can
be used up to 7.5 hours on a single charge and has USB-C charger.
Extras
The field of view of magic leap one is not perfect but is
perfect when compared to the previous AR devices launched by other major tech
companies. It comes with a magic leap one app through which you can watch videos
and create other 3D objects. Lumin OS SDK is available on their site from where
you can create Apps for the magic leap one device.
Rony Abovitz is also planning and working on AI that can be
added to magic leap one later on. According to Rony, magic leap one is the
future and it is the best mixed reality device available in the market right
now.
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Magic leap one was launched in USA on June 11 and is
available at AT&T stores for $2,295(1,58,573 Indian rupees) which is pretty
high.
