Even though augmented reality smart contact glasses are still years away, the Xiaomi Wireless AR Lens Discovery Version is now available for testing at Mobile World Congress 2023. These are the first wireless AR glasses to use distributed computing & a retina-level adaptive display that can change to different lighting conditions.
A breakthrough in augmented reality technology
Xiaomi is already making a mark at the Mobile World Congress 2023 in Barcelona. With a physical live event to debut its Xiaomi 13 premium phone series and an unexpected reveal of a prototype AR (augmented reality) smart glasses – the Xiaomi Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition that is truly wireless.
Xiaomi’s unique high-speed interconnection bus, which links the glasses to the user’s smartphone, provides wireless connectivity for the glasses. For faster efficiency, this data connection has a low latency of less than 3ms and is driven by Qualcomm Snapdragon Spaces.
The AR displays got weightless elements such as magnesium-lithium metal, carbon fiber & a self-designed SiO2 anode energy supply. With a weight of only 126g, these glasses are intended to reduce the user’s physical burden.
Moreover, the glasses have been precisely adjusted by studying tens of thousands of head tracking data samples that add to a superior experience.
A seamless integration of the digital and real-world
The Xiaomi Wireless AR display glasses are designated “retina-level,” with a PPD of 58 being similar to retina standards. When the PPD is around 60, the human eye cannot discern grain. Xiaomi leverages a free-form optical module consisting of two MicroOLED displays and free-form light-guiding prisms.
The free-form prisms enable complex light bending and reflection in a compact volume, resulting in exceptionally low light leakage and up to 1200 nit brightness to the eyes, yielding a clear and dazzling image.
The glasses also have electrochromic glasses that adjust to changing lighting conditions. The blackout option enhances immersion when viewing movies, whereas the transparency mode enhances the AR experience by merging reality.
Mi Share’s application streaming capability makes it possible to support a wide range of large-screen apps accessible throughout the ecosystem. Popular apps like TikTok and YouTube can maximize the display area of the glasses, effectively transforming them into a portable massive screen.
Besides, the AR feature enables users to position known apps anywhere in the viewing area and change their UI scale using spatial motions, improving the efficacy and overall experience of information access.
Featuring Xiaomi AR Gesture Control
The glasses also have a novel self-researched micro gesture interface that makes them more natural and easier to use. A low-power AON camera supports the micro gesture interaction, allowing for long-term gesture engagement.
This feature offers users to perform tasks such as choosing and launching an application, sliding to explore, and returning to the desktop without using their phone.
The knuckles of the user’s inner fingers are used as a motion detection area by Xiaomi Wireless AR Glasses. The pointing is directed upward from the 2nd point of the middle finger to the index finger. Using the adjacent areas creates a 4-way directional point for primary operational functionalities.
Xiaomi Wireless AR Wearables Discovery Series must be paired with a Xiaomi 13/other Qualcomm regions capable smartphone. The glasses are titanium-colored and suit three different nose piece sizes. Nearsighted people can benefit from an attachable myopia clip.
The wearables are software interoperable with Qualcomm Snapdragon regions, the Microsoft MRTK & Open XR programming environment. Xiaomi plans to collaborate with creators to deploy the advent of AR.