Open Source Display-Monocle puts a microOLED right in front of your eye
Monocle is an augmented reality monocle shipping later this month. The solution is open source.
The Monocle packs a lot of technology into a small package. In addition to the lens, the device includes a MicroOLED display, a 5MP camera, touch control, a battery, a Bluetooth chip, and a mic. Total weight of the device which clips to a standard pair of glasses comes in at under a twentieth of a pound.
The battery lasts one hour and can be charged six times using the included case. The display has a resolution of 640 x 400 pixels and offers a 20-degree field of view. A touch interface recognizes double taps, long presses, and other gestures.
AR in pocket format
What can you do with the monocle? The company responsible, Brilliant Labs, mentions the following possible use cases:
- Simple AR apps and games
- Computer vision research
- AI-based image augmentation
"Right now we're primarily focusing on building the development tools and improving all the inner workings of the firmware. We should soon have a few code examples of simple apps in out docs pages soon so keep your eyes open there," cofounder and chief technology officer Raj Nakarja wrote in a Q&A on Reddit.
An overview of the components. | Image: Monocle
Monocle is an open-source project. Brilliant Labs calls it a "Raspberry Pi for AR" that provides developers and hackers with affordable, pocket-sized AR experimentation capabilities. Interested parties can find more information about the hardware and software in the technical documentation.
Monocle shipments starting this month
Currently, the first wearables are being built and should be delivered to customers this month. Monocle costs $349 and includes the case and a USB-C cable. Photos can be uploaded to a smartphone via Bluetooth using the app (iOS & Android).
Hello #CES2023! Magic happens at the intersection of imagination and technology and we're thrilled to be here showing off our clip-on #ARdevice. pic.twitter.com/qKah06zAcn
— Brilliant Labs - Monocle (@brilliantlabsAR) January 6, 2023
According to Brilliant Labs, each monocle costs about $170-$180 to make. The start-up hopes to lower the price further with scale. There is also more potential on the miniaturization side, says CEO Bobak T.
More information about Monocle is on the official website and in the recent Reddit AMA. You can contact the company through their Discord server.
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