Vuzix’ next AR smart glasses will use Plessey’s microLED technology which Vuzix says will help it usher in the wave of next-gen smart glasses which utilize augmented reality. The joint venture between the two companies involves a partnership between Vuzix and Plessey Semiconductors Inc. Vuzix is already known for its work in augmented reality where Plessey specializes in creating optoelectronic solutions. Plessey’s tech is called Quanta-Brite and according to Vuzix it will be an integral part of the basis for AR smart glasses advancement along with its own Waveguide Optics technology.
While Plessey is certainly not the only option for Vuzix when it comes to the technology it would need for this particular improvement, Plessey’s Quanta-Brite tech, a microLED-based light engine, is said to produce a significant improvement on lumen output with a drastically-increased efficiency, which means the next AR smart glasses coming from Vuzix which use this technology would be able to put out what should be a clearer and brighter image while using the same amount of power or less, and that would likely translate to less drain on the battery and longer times of use by the wearer.
In fact, this is exactly what Vuzix is boasting. The next-gen AR smart glasses based on its Waveguide Optics and the Quanta-Brite technology will allow for less battery drain and improved performance. It should also help Vuzix lower the volume of the display engine. This means the glasses should end up being smaller in size but still allow for a better-quality image, and Vuzix states that the cost of these glasses should end up being decreased which means more consumers should be able to get their hands on them, which leads to a higher level of adoption of the technology and potentially future products. Vuzix doesn’t give an exact date on the release of this new lineup of products but it does give a general time frame of 2019, so it’ll be sometime next year before the new glasses are at the very least announced.