One of the most intriguing applications for wearable technology, especially for Health Tech applications, is the head-mounted display. It can provide different images to each eye, resulting in stereoscopic 3D effects. It can be use for virtual reality (VR) immersive applications, or for augmented reality (AR) where you can stay in visual contact with your surroundings while receiving displays of relevant information. For example, a surgeon might view MRI images superimposed on the patient during an operation, as a guide during the procedure. The biggest problem, however, is the display; this is typically the most expensive component of such a device.
Wandering the back alleys of the CES 2015 exhibit halls, I came across the folks at Seebright. Their solution to the problem is to use a display that you already own: your smartphone. (This is not a new concept; the FOV2GO is a VR system of hardware and software for smartphones. You can watch me build one of these devices on YouTube.) They have created a lightweight, adjustable system to hold the phone where a visor would be on a baseball cap, and then the optics can give you a VR or AR experienced as needed.
By dividing the phone’s display in two regions using software, it’s possible to create stereoscopic 3D images. The overall affect has a strong geek factor — Google Glass is inconspicuous in comparison — but the company website shows drawings of a more streamlined design. There are no shipping dates or prices on the company website yet; the company has indicated that it plans to start a Kickstarted crowd-funding campaign soon.
