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Monocle: A pocket sized open-source AR device

brilliantmonocle.com

11–20 of 223 posts

Re: Monocle: A pocket sized open-source AR device

#12
post #9

> For normal anticipated use, Monocle's battery will last for approximately 2 hours and can be recharged in its case up to 6 times. So only 12 hours of total use? Hoping it's a typo or not what it sounds like.

Like AirPods, the case has its own battery.

Ohh, that makes sense, thanks! If I owned AirPods or really any comparable product I probably would have understood right away.

Re: Monocle: A pocket sized open-source AR device

#13
This is interesting, but I'm not sure what's the value add over a smartphone camera. Normally AR lets you project into stereoscopic vision and create 3d shapes in the user's vision - but the monocle sacrifices this. Perhaps portability, but it looks pretty chunky to wear. Smartphones are actually great for lot of AR tasks. Apps like the one that puts a chevron over mountain peaks when hiking continue to impress me. But it'd be cool if it finds niche - don't want to sound too critical.

Re: Monocle: A pocket sized open-source AR device

#15
Neat but (still) pricey. Not sold on the 640x480 display; it requires work to focus you eye to such a short distance and due to macular degeneration that will be increasingly impossible as you age. In my 20s I could focus on things a couple of centimeters (~1") away with the naked eye, in my 50 it's about 15cm (5-6"). You can still perceive color, movement etc so a ring of LEDs would convey information well, tut trying to read anything like a map or scrolling messages limits your market to the youth, and probably the myopic youth at that.

Re: Monocle: A pocket sized open-source AR device

#16

So is the idea that this would work in conjunction with one's smartphone?

Probably a lot of the same use cases as google glass when you pair it with a smart phone. I don't think it's going to be "augmented reality", you're not going to have very much luck live-overlaying map data with the base unit. The built in FPGA means you can probably do some real time stuff if you really want.

The FPGA+micropython means that there's a lot you could do on device if you put in enough development time and converted your code to run directly on the FPGA, but it probably works best if paired with a smart phone. Someone like google could probably get this doing real time text translation off that FPGA, but I sure can't.

When paired with a phone you could use this to do real-time subtitles for the hard of hearing, display bike direction, there's all kinds of uses. Really all it has is bluetooth, the camera, some touch controls along the rim, and the display.

Re: Monocle: A pocket sized open-source AR device

#17

I would hope they include some basic apparel to wear the device. should one wear it as a pirate's eye patch?

Looks like it has a clip to attach to the front of a pair of glasses.

Obviously suboptimal, really needs to be integrated into some old-timey welding goggles for the steampunk vibe.

At $349 it’s almost in the range where I’d buy it to play around with but I suspect it’d end up in a drawer like a bunch of other things that looked cool but I never got around to hacking on. Once the technology gets good enough where they can fit it into a regular pair of glasses then we can talk — though looking at this Bluetooth Aftershockz headset I use that day probably isn’t too far off.

Re: Monocle: A pocket sized open-source AR device

#18
This is really cool almost urge-bought it.

But I wonder what do I use it for?

Looks like you can program it yourself so that's great.

Get more familiarity with FPGA.

I'm thinking about it.

Well... I've supported SVR and Pine64 why not this.

Nothing else can use it to record videos of my stuff working at workbench (not a lot of onboard storage though).

Ordered one, will see how it goes. It definitely blocks a significant part of your vision but I figure I can toy around with it while I'm cooking food. 3D print some glasses for it.

I would be curious if you bought two, could the two talk to each other... but the hardware kind of blocks your vision/does not seem ideal... still it's something to tinker with.

Re: Monocle: A pocket sized open-source AR device

#20

Neat but (still) pricey. Not sold on the 640x480 display; it requires work to focus you eye to such a short distance and due to macular degeneration that will be increasingly impossible as you age. In my 20s I could focus on things a couple of centimeters (~1") away with the naked eye, in my 50 it's about 15cm (5-6"). You can still perceive color, movement etc so a ring of LEDs would convey information well, tut tryi…

> ...it requires work to focus you eye to such a short distance...

Modern wearable displays have a focal distance between 1m and infinity to improve comfort.

From https://docs.brilliantmonocle.com/monocle/monocle/#display

> The result is a transparent floating display with a 20° field of view. About the size of a table display at arms length.

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