Sony is targeting the eyewear market with a clip-on device designed to mirror Google Glass.
The company unveiled the Single-Lens Display Module this week and will show off the technology at next month's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The device, consisting of a "High-Resolution Color OLED Microdisplay" that's among the smallest in the world, a "Micro-Optical Unit" that facilitates clear image display and a miniaturized control board, attaches to a regular pair of eyeglasses.
According to a company press release, the device enables the user to access information that can be displayed "in a small sub-window that does not obstruct your field of vision," and can be seen in light or dark environments.
Sony said it will provide software development kits (SDKs) to partnering companies seeking to build apps that can either be loaded onto the module itself or that can access it through a smartphone.
"Many situations spring to mind in which hands-free display of information would be extremely beneficial," the Sony press release stated. "For example, when cycling, playing a round of golf, or engaging in some other outdoor sport, attaching this module to a pair of sports sunglasses and pairing it with a smartphone would enable you to access valuable information such as course maps or distance readings, even when your hands are tied. Using the module for coaching purposes, in concert with an application for sports use, could prove extremely effective as well. Alternatively, the module could be paired directly with an action camera capable of remote display on a smartphone, enabling you to check the angle of view and the captured image from a distance through your eyewear. This would give birth to a completely new style of shooting images and would potentially imbue the camera itself with higher added value."
While not mentioning healthcare specifically, the device is similar to Google Glass - with the notable exception that it attaches to any pair of eyeglasses, rather than being part of the eyeglasses. Healthcare has proven to be among the more attractive audiences for Google Glass, with several pilots underway that focus on having clinicians use the devices to access health data at the point of care and high-profile partnerships with Intel and Luxottica that seek to combine IT with fashion.
Also in the picture is Samsung, with rumors coming out of Korea that the tech giant is developing "Gear-Blink" smartglasses.
Google may be taking criticism of its form factor to heart as well. Though not announced publicly just yet, a rumored release of version 2 of the eyewear sometime next year might include a more streamlined look, along with better battery life.
