Sony previously announced the development of an attachable
Single-Lens Display Module that can turn eyewear of varying designs into smart
devices.
With this module, Sony has achieved a compactness of size and
a lightness of weight that make it possible to attach the module to a piece of
eyewear. It accomplished this by equipping the device with a High-Resolution
Color OLED Microdisplay, a Micro-Optical Unit that brings out the full potential
of the display's high image quality, and a miniaturized control board with
arithmetic processing capabilities on par with smartphones that was made
possible by high-density packaging technology.
It is looking to provide the product to a wide variety of
potential customers, from eyewear makers whose pieces are tailored for specific
uses such as sports or entertainment, to electronics manufacturers who are
considering pairing their products with wearable devices, to companies that
provide business solutions utilizing wearable devices. By making the product
available to such a wide range of outlets, Sony will promote the adoption of
wearable devices in new areas, thereby contributing to the further development
of the market. Sony will also provide software development kits (SDK) to
partnering organizations for this Single-Lens Display Module boasting rich
arithmetic processing capabilities, thereby embarking on a new commercial
solutions business that will broaden the world of wearable
devices.
Sony unveiled this display module for the first time in
public at its booth at the "2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES)"
held in Las Vegas, US from Tuesday, January 6th to Friday, January 9th, 2015.
Exhibited in the form of a concept model called "SmartEyeglass Attach!," which
proposes one potential use for the module and is meant to be attached to sports
eyewear pieces.
Examples of Wearable Devices That Could Potentially Be Made
Possible With This Module
Sony is preparing a software development kit (SDK) for this
display module in order to facilitate application development. It is thereby
moving forward with a glasses-style smart device solutions business that could
see the module being adapted to a wide variety of uses, given its high
processing power. With the SDK, developers will be able to create dedicated apps
tailored to specific uses. They can choose either to load an app onto the module
itself, thereby enabling the device to be used independently of any other
hardware, or to load an app onto a smartphone, thereby allowing the device to be
used in tandem with a smartphone over a wireless connection. Sony therefore aims
to promote development of novel uses for glasses-style smart devices that
capitalize on the power of the module's arithmetic unit and Wi-Fi functionality,
such as with applications that access data in the cloud or that link with
infrastructure systems. Along with the SDK, Sony will also release the display
module's communication specifications, enabling developers to wirelessly pair it
with a wide range of other devices aside from smartphones. This will make
possible a whole new level of potential ways to use the module that could
provide users with even greater convenience.
Many situations spring to mind in which hands-free display of
information would be extremely beneficial. 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. As a final example, Sony has high
expectations for the module's applications in a work setting, such as when
linked to a factory's internal infrastructure system. Instructions could be
given remotely and hands-free, allowing workers to continue their work
uninterrupted.
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