Vuzix Blade smart glasses
Augmented reality (AR) has advanced significantly since the days when impossibly futuristic ideas existed only in science fiction films. With the advent of smart glasses, we can unfurl a cyber world over reality, enabling easier remote access and a more integrated digital experience.
Think of Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses as a smartphone for your face—an improvement over the clunky VR headsets of old. You can even fit prescription lenses into your Vuzix, making them more wearable and user-friendly.
Moreover, the Vuvix Blade is just one of many AR technology forms Factors. Other AR form factor types included AR headsets and Helmets, AR Projectors, AR-enabled Smartphones and Tablets, and other AR wearables.
In this article, we take a closer look at the Vuzix blade smart glasses to see how the technology is being used and what benefits the Vuzix offers to users.
About Vuzix
Vuzix is a supplier of wearable technology that offers Assisted and Augmented Reality that connects users with their computers or smartphones, creating a hands-free, deskless working environment.
Their wearable tech, like their smart glasses, is used in many environments, from healthcare and military applications to home entertainment. They were founded in 1997, specializing in designing and creating visual tools.
Vuzix Blade Ar
While Vuzix has been making smart glasses for business and medical applications for many years, the innovative Vuzix blade was designed to be a slimmer pair of smart glasses for the general public.
Rather than a VR headset offering you Augmented reality, the Vuzix Blade ar glasses are meant to be used with your smartphone. It’s a wearable tool similar to the idea of a smartwatch.
Using different apps, these smart glasses allow you to track fitness, participate in video conferencing, stream videos, play games, use Team Viewer, pick your groceries, or get Yelp reviews from nearby restaurants.
How It Works
Similar in appearance to regular glasses rather than a bulky headset, Vuzix, with its stylish form factor, uses an Android-based proprietary operating system called Blade OS to give you a wearable smartphone companion that is easy to use.
Your Blade will receive notifications and incoming messages when paired with your phone. Think of them as special computing glasses that extend your workspace, allowing you to work hands-free.
Using the world’s smallest microLED projection engine—less than the size of a pencil eraser—Vuzix can project an image onto the lens of your smart glasses, allowing you to get updates from your phone, stream movies from Amazon, or watch Youtube videos.
The Blade gives you a full-color, see-through screen in your right lens, like an overlay, which you can reposition to suit. You use a touchpad to swipe and tap, but you can also integrate your Blade with Alexa to allow voice commands.
You can play your favorite songs over the integrated speakers, get the weather forecast, control your home devices, or check your notifications and emails.
Another way Vuzix Blade differs from a smartwatch is that it can take pictures or record video with a single tap using the built-in 8-megapixel camera on the left side. You can use the camera with AR apps to find virtual models of the things you photograph.
Vuzix Blade Screen Mirroring Technology
You can use your computer to mirror and control the screen on your Vuzix blade. You can control and view your Blade from a computer by downloading the Vuzix View software onto your PC or Mac.
This software allows you to use your computer keyboard to navigate your Blade, take screenshots or recordings, and save logs.
Some apps, such as ScreenCast and Multi Remote Assitance, will allow you to set up screen mirroring from your phone to your smart glasses; however, not all apps are readily available. You’ll need to check the Vuzix App Store to see the current offerings.
What Battery Does Vuzix Blade Use?
The Vuzix Blade uses an internal rechargeable 470mAh battery charged via a micro USB connector. The slot for the USB connection is on the left side of the glasses, just before the earpiece.
When your Blade is first shipped to you, it will already have a partial charge, but it’s recommended you fully charge the Vuzix Blade before using it for the first time.
Your Blade will come with a micro USB connector, which you will insert, and plug into a USB power source. As soon as it’s connected, your smart glasses immediately begin charging. Blink patterns indicate the battery levels on the Power LED.
The battery life for the Blade is estimated at 1-2 hours, but continuous use of streaming apps, game apps, and others will use more power and drain your battery quicker.
If you need to use your Vuzix Blade for longer, consider buying the Collar Power Bank, a 2850mAh battery that you can easily wear over the back of your neck. The bank offers around 10 hours of regular use on your Blade, costing $99.
Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses Models
While there have been several prototype smart glasses in the past, Vuzix has done away with the older Blade model and currently only offers two Blade models.
They have other wearable technology, such as the lightweight Vuzix M400, the M4000, and the Vuzix Shield, which are all smart wearable optic tech, but mainly designed for business and manufacturing environments.
When it comes to smart glasses designed for the general public, you’ll probably choose one of their Blade Series models.
Vuzix Blade Upgraded Smart Glasses
Vuzix Blade Upgraded Smart Glasses are the standard Blade smart glasses, featuring AR tech that allows you to use hands-free mobile computing.
The waveguide optics display see-through digital instructions, so you can do your work with minimal distraction while reducing errors.
The transparent display is 480×853 resolution and uses ultrabright 24-bit color. The lenses are safety-certified and have a built-in 8-megapixel camera.
With Bluetooth connectivity, you can easily pair it to your smartphone. It has built-in audio and a microphone, making voice control systems like Amazon Alexa an easy solution if you want to avoid using the touchpad.
Vuzix Blade 2 Smart Glasses
The Vuzix Blade 2 offers an improved OS with Android 11 OS and better device integration designed for more commercial use. The wifi range is better, and integrated memory management enhances security.
With 40GB of built-in memory and a Quad Core ARM CPU, the Blade 2 looks to outperform the Blade Upgraded. It also offers an integrated head tracker and a 2-axis trackpad with multi-finger support.
Naturally, it comes at a higher price point but does seem to have taken into consideration points where the Upgraded model was more limited. This model has updated capabilities and offers more options for various fields, from assisted surgery, construction, security, healthcare, and training, to retail.
Vuzix Blade Upgraded Smart Glasses
The more affordable model for most is the second version of the original Vuzix Blade, the Upgraded 1.5 model, which is designed more for public use than commercial.
It has 8GB flash memory and 1GB RAM and uses a 32GB microSD card for expandable storage.
The Upgraded Blade has an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus, built-in stereo speakers, and a mic.
While the full display resolution is 480×853 pixels, the active display area of the headset only uses 480×480 square.
The Vuzix Blade 1.5 comes with an Upgraded Blade case, a long micro USB cable, and a short micro USB charger cable with an angled connection that connects to the Anker power bank.
The glasses come with two nose pieces, allowing you to adjust the fit.
Before you start, you’ll need a smartphone to pair with your Vuzix Blade and create an account with Vuzix. Once you’ve done this, install the Vuzix Companion App on your phone, and you’re good to go
Prescription inserts
The Vuzix Blade offered a prescription lens insert option for users who require corrective lenses for vision correction. These prescription inserts are custom-made lenses that fit inside glasses, allowing users with nearsightedness or farsightedness to use the glasses comfortably without the need to wear their regular prescription glasses underneath.
The prescription inserts are typically made based on the user’s specific prescription requirements and can be ordered separately from Vuzix or authorized dealers.
What Does Vuzix Do
Vuzix produces smart glasses, termed Augmented Reality (AR) workforce solution-based technology that serves enterprise clients. Their main markets are spatial computing glasses for commercial use in industry and services.
Healthcare
With smart glasses, medical teams can stay connected, and communication is faster and more efficient, helping to save lives. By sharing live ICU videos with remote experts, knowledge can be shared, and patients can be given speedier care.
Manufacturing
Using smart glasses, management can guide workers remotely, simplify the training process, and solve issues as they crop up. Line workers collaborating safely is another advantage of the Vuzix Blade smart glasses..
Warehousing
Help avoid stocking and picking errors, and optimize workplace efficiency by using smart glasses in warehouse depts.
Field Service
Smart glasses are an invaluable way to provide remote support and instruction and keep costs down while providing technical support to customers.
Industry Benefits Of Using Vuzix Smart Glasses
- Improves access to remote support, which helps keep costs down while giving better service
- Replaces bulky handheld devices and scanners
- Allows remote working, demos, and teleconferencing
- Offers a high level of precision in monitoring patients
- Improved access to medical databases and the ability to share patient care instructions.
Entertainment And Consumer Applications
If you’re buying the Vuzix for home use, you’re probably interested in how well-integrated the Blade is for use with streaming and watching movies. You can also use web browsers like Firefox, and this expanded suite of applications makes them more appealing.
Use the Vuzix Blade to stream content directly from companies such as:
- Netflix
- Amazon
- Prime Video
- HBO
Vuzix Use Case
At Singapore Changi Airport, the ground handling and in-flight catering service provider SATS has begun using smart glasses to streamline and digitize its ramp-handling operations.
600 staff use Vuzix M300 Smart Glasses to scan QR codes on cargo and baggage, speeding up the baggage handling process.
Smart glasses can improve bag handler accuracy and efficiency. SATS aims to decrease the loading time for each flight by up to fifteen minutes.
What Apps Are In The Vuzix Blade
Vuzix blade also comes with an app store that gives access to apps ranging from finance, weather, and transportation, to business, education, games, and media. Examples of Vuzix enterprise focused apps include:
How Much Does Vuzix Blade Cost
Prices for the blades range between $1000 and $1300—the most popular model au the Vusix Blade Upgraded, or 1.5.
The average price for a Vuzix Blade 1.5 is $999.99
Summary
Vuzix optical tech was initially designed to be used in industry, and commercial enterprise applications, which is why they are at the forefront of wearable Augmented Reality technology.
While they originally made VR gear and applications for the US Defence force and military, they branched out to reality systems for businesses and individuals. The company created the first commercial AR headset and refined the concept into commercial AR smart glasses.
The Blade is their biggest foray into smart glasses for the public and one of the leading examples of the current AR smart glasses marketplace.
Round Up
While smart glasses may not be quite where the movies would have us imagine, Vuzix offers some of the best options in wearable near-eye smart tech, both comfortable and well-integrated.
Are you intrigued about trying out a pair of AR smart glasses and ready to step into a world where information is at your fingertips and right in front of your eyes? Experience the best in AR eyewear, and buy the Vuzix Blade directly from the company or online retailers like Amazon.
