NEW YORK, Jan 20 — It’s a safety helmet for the 21st century - one its makers say could kick-start a new industrial revolution.
The Daqri Smart Helmet recognises and deciphers the wearer’s surroundings.
It then uses augmented reality to overlay information in real-time as floating, interactive holograms.
Aside from games like Pokemon GO, augmented reality - or AR - has struggled to find its place.
Google Glass generated much excitement on launch, but stopped selling to consumers in 2015.
By focusing on the construction sector, Daqri believes it’s turned AR into a viable tool.
To click on a message or select a different application, the wearer moves their head to line a up a cross-hair. A slight pause activates the button they’re hovering over.
It weighs just over a kilo, but Daqri says it’s comfortable enough to be worn for a full working day.
The battery lasts 4 hours, though can be changed without stopping work.
Late last year Daqri launched the helmet for early adopters, costing US$15,000 (RM66, 802) each, and including a software suite to create content.
The full production version is due for release later this year. — Reuters
