DAQRI has developed most of the technology inside its smart glasses headset. The device weighs 0.7 pounds and has a field-of-view of 44-degrees. Both glasses displays have a 1360×768 resolution and update at 90 frames per second. Processing power is supplied by an Intel Core m7 chip.
While interest in AR is growing, commercial applications remain few and far between. Microsoft has seen some early success with HoloLens, its bulkier, tethered holographic computer. Unlike Microsoft’s broad vision for HoloLens, DAQRI has a narrower focus that’s built around customers in specific markets.
The company’s particularly targeting businesses in the manufacturing, construction, maintenance and inspections industries. VentureBeat reports that the smart glasses are tailored to each industry, with complex workloads optimised for display through the eyepieces.
An engineer could be assigned a DAQRI unit to help them complete a specific task, such as assembling a component or checking the operation of a broken part. The glasses can also be used to visualise data streams from IoT devices and smart sensors in real-time, keeping employees connected with the operation of their business.
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“We provide a full hardware, software, solutions, and partner ecosystem to bring AR to scale,” DAQRI writes on its website. “We deliver data visualization of IoT and sensor data in real-time, presenting users with contextually-relevant, actionable information, whether in the field or at their desk. DAQRI is professional-grade AR.”
DAQRI’s partnered with several enterprise device and software suppliers to build and support the device. Flex is responsible for the manufacturing with Oracle, IBM, Autodesk and Siemens amongst the compatible software vendors. Unlike most of its rivals, DAQRI’s glasses connect to an integrated computer that’s small enough to be worn on a belt, effectively making the headset a cordless solution.
Pricing for the glasses isn’t cheap. The company’s now shipping them worldwide for $4,995, limiting the number of enterprises who’ll be interested in investing. DAQRI suggested the high purchase price will be quickly offset by productivity and efficiency improvements, making the glasses a worthwhile long-term commitment.
