#MWC18 – Vuzix Blade hands on

I have to wear glasses pretty much every day of life in order to see properly, hence why when we started seeing companies invest into tech to go into “smart” Glasses I got a little bit excited. This was why when I saw that Vuzix were showing their latest iteration of the Vuzix series of glasses I knew i had to go and check them out. 

I am so glad I did go and see them as the tech that they are using here is very very cool! here is a small infographic showing what they are putting into these glasses.

So the idea here is that you where these like normal glasses and then on either your right (which is the default side) or left eye will have a small screen displayed onto the glass in front of that eye. If you were prescription glasses then you need not worry as you can add these onto the frames easily enough by removing the uppermost piece which is where the lenses sit. This is something that I chatted with the team behind the glasses about as it was a concern for me but I need not have been concerned.

The real key here is that to another person they can still see your eyes as if you were just wearing normal glasses. This is something that is very important when you are trying to engage with other people. Also when looking through the glasses your vision is not really obstructed very much by the image being displayed on the screen. That screen can sit either near the top of the screen or the bottom, in fact, you can position it wherever you need it depending on your preference. It is also possible to set it up using a light theme or a dark one depending on when and where you are using it.

Here are some more picture of the glasses off my head to give you an idea of the design.

I also tried to capture an image of the screen for you but if I am honest it was quite tricky to do so but here is what I got.

So as you can see it is not really that much of an incumberment upon your natural line of sight. Here a few screenshots that have been included in the promo material.

As to the specs of how this works then check out the rather long list below

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS*
Optics and Electronics
• Waveguide based see-through optics
• Vibrant full-color display
• Right eye monocular
• Quad-Core ARM CPU
• 8 Megapixel camera with 1080p video
• Android OS

Controls
• Voice control – multilingual
• Touch pad with gesture
• Head motion trackers
• Haptic vibration alerts
• Companion app for Android & iOS device

Audio
• Micro USB ear-phone jack
• Full BT functionality
• Noise canceling microphone
Battery
• Internal LiPo rechargeable batteries
Versatile Eyeglass Options Available
• Prescription inserts
• Photochromic
• All lenses standard with UV protection
Connectivity
• microSD expansion slot
• Wi-Fi and BT wireless
• Micro USB

Here is a video of what you can do with the Vuzix Blade

As to what you can do with the Vuazix Blade, I think one of the easiest ways to think about it is as an extension of your smartphone (which it needs to work with). Here is the list of things that Vuzix think will be a good fit for the Blade

Loaded with features that help you stay connected
and active when on the go
• Take calls, check messages, listen to music while
jogging, hiking, walking, or exercising – all with
your phone in your pocket
• Text a friend, check appointments, take pictures
– all with voice commands
• Enables location-aware content providing access to
shopping data, travel routes, Yelp Scores and more
• Check and add content to Facebook and other
social media
• Play games and watch videos
•Monitor your vital signs while jogging or exercising
• Never miss an alert with the haptic feedback
vibration and then either touch the glasses or
speak to respond
• Record life’s best moments with photos and videos
• Calendar alerts to see invitations or what’s next
• Daily assistant – see what and when you need it

So that will pretty much cover everyone’s regular needs but what if you are actually wanting to use this as a tool for work. Well, you need not worry as Vuzix has thought of you as well. As this version has been designed for function over form it does look a little well less refined and more industrial.

So here goes

Vuzix M300 Enterprise version

The big benefit here is that you can position the screen where you need it so that it will if required only be in your field of view when you say look down as in this example here. When I was using it in combination with the AR Mode it picked up a circuit board that I was holding in my hand and told me where the connections to inputs and outputs where. This really useful and I can see how it would help in various commercial environments.

So my next question to the team here at #MWC2018 was how do I get my hand on one of these? Sadly that I where we hit a roadblock as these devices are not available for purchase yet. If you are a developer and looking to get involved in developing apps for the platform then you can register your interest for the various developer kits then you can do so here. If you are a regular consumer then you will have to wait a little bit longer.

Here are few more pictures of the M300