Augmented Reality

ThirdEye Debuts 3-Screen AR System for Education

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 08/09/17

Education will shortly have a new option in the augmented reality (AR) segment. A company that has built its reputation in the defense industry is releasing a bundle that includes AR smartglasses and an app that allows for remote instruction. ThirdEye's X1 "smartglass" is a headset that allows the wearer to experience a 1,280 x 720 pixel binocular display that is equivalent to viewing a 90-inch screen at 10 feet.

Coupled with the company's enterprise application, users can receive instruction through a three-screen view. When wearers look straight ahead, the view is clear; they see what's in front of them. With a turn to the left, wearers view a video screen allowing them to communicate with and view a remote person. With a turn to the right, users see "data" screens, displaying instruction. For example, if somebody is repairing a piece of equipment, he or she can share the view with a remote person, communicate with that individual and then view a diagram with the part circled that needs to be dealt with next in the process.

In the case of education, ThirdEye suggested that the glasses can be programmed to guide a student across campus, to help identify components in a textbook illustration or to instruct virtual operations such as medical procedures. Currently, the company is developing custom education AR content — including 3D AR renderings of course curriculum and interactive campus tours where AR information is overlaid onto the user's point of view.

Currently, the company is taking pre-order contact information. The shipping date and pricing haven't been announced.