Olympus announces new EI-10 smart glasses for business applications
posted Monday, November 6, 2017 at 10:00 AM EDT
You may know Olympus mainly for their excellent mirrorless cameras, but they may soon want you to think of them first when you hear "smart glasses." Though designed specifically for more industrial or business applications, the technology that Olympus packs into these smart glasses is something worth keeping your eye on (pun definitely intended).
The EI-10 attaches to safety glasses, your own prescription glasses, or you can use an included head mount. Embedded sensors allow for easy navigation of the user interface and applications, which include photo and video capture and playback, QR code reader, and utility functions for custom developed applications. Olympus has a patented optical system that lets you see the display without blocking much of your eyesight, and gives the wearer access to information in a hands-free manner.
Features Overview
- Compact, lightweight design optimized for extended use across business applications
- Wireless LAN and Bluetooth for wireless connection to various networks and devices
- Unique optical technology with a semi-transparent effect allows visualization of images and data without impeding eyesight
- Incorporated sensors allow for a wide variety of custom-developed user applications
- Android-based with robust development tools for product integration and application development
In a few minutes using the device in person, we were rather impressed at how easily we could see the tiny monitor, simultaneous with most of our field of view. Along the side of the device is a black strip which is actually a touch bar. You can use that bar along with the buttons along the outside of the EI-10 to navigate the device.
The EI-10 incorporates both wireless LAN and Bluetooth for connections to a network or peripheral devices. It has a long battery life and can hot swap for extended use.
The EI-10 is powered by a modified Android operating system and can be totally customized for each use case. That is to say, developers can fully customize the interface and operations for the device. Additionally, Olympus says they are currently partnering with product and software developer to further enhance user experiences with the device.
It should be known that though the EI-10 can be purchased by anyone, Olympus warns it is really specified for use by businesses. It’s not going to be the next Google Glass, for example.
U.S. Pricing and Availability
The EyeTrek INSIGHT EI-10 will be available in November for an estimated $1,499.99 USD.