Epson has released their own smart glasses and while they lack the aesthetic of Google Glass, they do promise efficiency.
Epson’s Moverio BT-200 smart glasses have been designed with similar capabilities as Google Glass but have also been equipped with the ability to have a larger field of view.
The main feature of Epson’s smart glass is that they offer augmented reality which allows people to place digital imagery over real-world imagery.
“Glass requires you to glance up, which is more for notifications,” stated Eric Mizufuka, product manager at Epson, whereas Moverio’s augmented reality capabilities allow for full screen viewing.
Mizufuka demonstrated using the example of a packaged-goods salesperson. He stated that the salesperson could wear the glasses to manage inventory, find stock and order more.
“Not only can it make workers more efficient and accurate, but it can confirm compliance as well,” he continued.
The lenses also offer hands free interaction motion detection which allows the wearer to simply move their eyes in order to activate a feature such as watching a video.
The Moverio lenses are also considerably cheaper, retailing for just $700 as compared to Google’s $1,500 price tag.
While Google requires an invite to purchase their smart eye wear, Epson is offering their technology to the public through epson.com and prelaunch.com.
While it remains to be seen if Epson is violating any Google patent laws, it really is only a matter of time before other tech companies begin releasing their own smart glasses in order to compete.