Sony SmartEyeglass Developer Edition SED-E1 Available In March
Sony's SmartEyeglass prototype takes a step forward with its commercialisation and launch starting from next month. The SmartEyeglass Developer Edition SED-E1 has bee desifgned for developers, who will get access to both the physical sample and official supporting software developer kit.
Pre-order starts from today in United Kingdom and Germany, with SmartEyeglass Developer Edition available from our Sony Developer World portal from early March for around €670. At launch SmartEyeglass Developer Edition will also be available for purchase ($840) in the United States and Japan. It will also be available only for Sony's enterprise customers in France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands and Sweden.
The "SmartEyeglass" transparent lens eyewear connects with compatible smartphones (Android 4.4 or higher) to superimpose information such as text, symbols, and images onto the user's field of view.
The device is equipped with a diverse range of sensing technologies, including a CMOS image sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, electronic compass, brightness sensor, and microphone. It utilizes these features, together with GPS location information obtained from the connected smartphone, to provide information tailored to the user's immediate circumstances.
Sony has leveraged its hologram optics technology to develop a lens that achieves a high transparency of 85% and a thickness of just 3.0 mm, without the use of half mirrors that obstruct the user's vision.
Holographic waveguide technology entails the propagation of image light that is output from the optical engine, using holographic optical elements embedded in both sides of a glass plate. The light is propagated through the 1 m) glass plate and then delivered to the eyes.
Furthermore, the monochrome display ensures that while energy consumption is lower than a color display, high luminance (up to 1,000 cd/m2) is achieved, realizing a binocular display with clearly legible text under a wide range of conditions.
The exchange of information, from sensing data to images, between the SmartEyeglass and a wirelessly connected smartphone means that, depending on the smartphone app, the device has the potential to be used in a wide range of scenarios.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| HMD type | Binocular see-through with a separate controller |
| Resolution | 419 (H) X 138 (V) pixel |
| Angle of view | Diagonal 20° (Horizontal 19° x Vertical 6°) |
| Image color | Monochrome green with 8 bit grey scale |
| Frame rate | 15 fps |
| Brightness (max.) | 1,000 cd/m2 |
| See-through transmittance | More than 85% |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, gyroscope, electronic compass, brightness sensor, microphone, noise-canceling microphone |
| Camera | Still: 3M pixel Video (soundless): JPEG Stream - QVGA-equivalent 15 fps (requires a camera API; for more information, refer to the SDK) |
| Sound | Speaker in controller |
| Power source | Built-in lithium ion battery |
| Battery life | Not using the camera: approximately 150 minutes Using the camera: approximately 80 minutes |
| Connectivity with Android device | Bluetooth v3.0, IEEE802.11b/g |
| Android OS requirements | Android 4.4 or above |
| Maximum external dimensions | Eyewear: when folded - approximately 180 mm × 39 mm × 72 mm (width/height/depth); when unfolded - approximately 180 mm × 39 mm × 182 mm Controller: approximately 54 mm × 21 mm × 60 mm (not including protruding part) Cable: approximately 63 cm (length) |
| Weight | Approximately 77 g (glasses excluding cable); approximately 44 g (controller) |
| Operating temperature range | 5℃ to 35℃ |
| Storage temperature range | -15℃ to 50℃ |
