There have been several attempts on the part of a few companies to bring a sense of “augmented reality” to cycling in the form of “smart glasses”. However, for one reason or another, either their product never got beyond the development stage, or it simply didn’t garner much consumer appeal.
Having said that, perhaps Everysight sees the market differently, as evidenced by the launch of its new Raptor AR smartglasses, which they claim is the culmination of a decade and a half of research and development.
The Israel-based Everysight, is a spin-off of defense contractor Elbit Systems, which is well-known for its heads-up displays used by fighter jet pilots, before focussing their attention toward the sports segment.
“It wasn’t a walk in the park”, Ovadia said, referring to the countless hours of research and development, along with hundreds of millions of dollars, in order to apply its technology to the platform of sunglasses. “We needed screens that could be applied in the consumer space,” he added. “We needed to build a pair of smartglasses.”
The Raptor AR relies on Bluetooth to link cyclists to their smartphones, allowing them to view a custom display that provides real-time ride data analysis and metrics via Everysight’s app. In addition, cyclists can subsequently upload and share their ride data, pictures and videos with others using WiFi, thanks to the Raptor AR’s built-in 13.2-megapixel camera, microphone and onboard computer that can provide up to 32GB of storage.
“Our legacy in AR Systems goes way back as being spun of out of Elbit Systems, the worldwide defense company leader in Helmet Mounted Systems for Fighter Jet and Rotary Wing pilots,” said Asaf Ashkenazi, CEO of Everysight, in a statement. “We have been working on consumer-specific AR technology for more than 15 years. And long before Google, Apple, and Facebook, we saw and invested in AR’s transformative potential to alter the way we receive and ingest real-time data and information from the world around us. Now, we are excited to bring Raptor to market and cannot wait to show off our upcoming product lineup for 2018 and beyond.”
According to Everysight, the smartglasses will become available starting in February 2018, with pre-orders beginning next month. Pricing for the Raptor AR is $649, but for those who pre-order, they will receive a $150 discount.
Additional accessories include, a $59 controller that attaches to the handlebars, which allows cyclists to control the display without having to touch the glasses, a prescription lens adapter that’s available for $29 and tinted lenses which will set you back an extra $79.
You can learn more about the Raptor AR smartglasses by visiting Everysight’s website here.
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