Augmented reality technology is quickly becoming a mainstay feature in premium smartphones and devices today. The limitless possibilities of AR are driving the industry bigwigs to take a serious interest in it. Apple is not far behind in this race as well. In fact, if rumours are to be believed, the Cupertino-based company is well underway in its development cycle for a brand new AR glass.
Allegedly slated to arrive in the market sometime in 2020, a patent listing from the company now suggests that Apple may have solved a substantial problem plaguing similar AR glasses already in the market or under development from other brands.
What new information does the patent leak reveal?
As per the patent registration, the AR glass is slated to feature a special head-mounted device that can adjust the opacity of this wearable technology. To understand the importance of this feature, one needs to understand the most common issue with such glasses. In other augmented reality wearables, one drawback is the inability to see the display on the lenses due to the presence of bright light, such as sunlight or any artificial light, in the real world. Therefore, to maximise the AR displays, wearers need to stay in a relatively dark environment. However, Apple’s rumoured revolutionary technology could avoid this issue completely, if true. If the April 2018 patent filed by the company is true, the company’s AR glass could allow automatic blocking of excess light from the outside to maintain the visual on the AR glasses. While watching a video on the device, for instance, Apple’s tech can filter out the external lights, allowing a clear picture without any disturbance or interference. If real, this technology can almost transform the Ar glasses into virtual reality devices for specific periods.
More information from the patent registration
Apart from talking about the new tech, the patent also reveals how this transition can occur automatically, depending on the lighting outside. Think of adaptive brightness on your phones to get a clearer picture of what Apple is proposing.
Additionally, the papers hint at a gaze tracking system in the AR glasses as well. With the use of in-built cameras, the wearable can track the user’s eye movements while they have the glasses on. It may boast a front-facing camera as well, not unlike phones. With it, users can quickly click a picture of the sight they are looking at.
However, before you get all excited, remember that this is information comes from a patent. Technology companies often file such patents, which does not reflect in their finished products upon release. Therefore, take these rumours with a grain of salt, at least until Apple officially announces the glasses.
The company has yet to mention such a device in development. However, as more leaks come to the surface, it seems more and more likely that the company is gearing up for a launch next year. It remains to be seen what features and specs the device boasts upon its release and whether it is set to revolutionise AR in the consumer market.
