After a long wait, Magic Leap, the secretive augmented reality startup, finally unveiled its first AR headset. Releasing first as a ‘Creator Edition’, the so-called ‘Magic Leap One’ AR headset is said to start shipping in 2018.
While the company has shown its tech to journalists and celebrities alike, all impressions have been held within the strict confines of a NDA. Just as before, we haven’t seen any hard specs or hands-on pieces yet, but at least we now have a better picture of the final form-factor and styling of the headset.
Here’s every pertinent image we’ve scrapped from their site so far:
The headset itself is going by the name Lightwear, which features an array of sensors – exactly how many and their individual purpose, we’re not sure yet. Two cables are seen trailing out the back of the Lightwear headset, although it appears these actually connect to the computing unit. Lightwear is said to be “[e]ngineered to be lightweight and comfortable for hours of exploration. We’ve combined our Digital Lightfield technology with environment mapping, precision tracking and soundfield audio to produce amazing experiences that feel natural.”
The system comes with a small mobile computer that’s clipped to the user’s waist, which Magic Leap calls the ‘Lightpack’. Tethered by a single cable, the company says it offers “[h]igh-powered processing and graphics, streamlined in a lightweight pack that stays right by your side.”
A 6DoF motion controller, which is dubbed simply ‘Control’, features a touchpad, “force control and haptic feedback.”
There’s no pricing information yet – only a signup form to fill out to register your interest in the Magic Leap One Creator Edition.
The company is also releasing access to the headset’s software development kit (SDK) “along with all of the tools, documentation, learning resources and support you’ll need to begin your journey.” This is said to come in early 2018.
In September 2017, it was rumored the multi-billion dollar Magic Leap could be shipping their first device to “a small group of users within six months,” and that the company would also take on a Series D investment led by Temasek Holdings Pte., a Singaporean venture capital firm. The rumor regarding its Series D turned out to be true, but we were left waiting on any word of surrounding the headset itself.
Info is still thin on the ground. We’ll be updating this piece as it comes in.
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Source: Magic Leap Finally Unveils its First AR Product ‘Magic Leap One’, Shipping Starts in 2018
