| Developers: | Magic Leap |
| Date of the premiere of the system: | December 2017 |
Content |
2023: Curtailing the Project
On August 30, 2023, Magic Leap announced that support for the first generation augmented reality headset of the same name will end on December 31, 2024. After this date, the device will become inoperable. Thus, Magic Leap is actually winding down the failed AR project.
Magic Leap 1 glasses are not on sale as of early September 2023, but support continues, with users receiving software updates as well as fixes for identified bugs. However, in the short term, various services related to the device will be closed. In particular, the Magic Leap 1 developer forum and Discord channels will cease to exist at the end of September 2023.
 | We announce that support for Magic Leap 1 will end on December 31, 2024. Until then, Magic Leap will continue to fulfill its warranty obligations and provide support to customers, the manufacturer said in an official statement. |  |
It is said that with the onset of 2025, cloud services for Magic Leap 1 will be unavailable, and the device itself and applications for it will stop working. Former Magic Leap senior manager Steve Lukas says the headset's shutdown is due to a hard-coded cloud-based security check that takes place every six months.
Magic Leap 1 glasses appeared in 2018, but the demand for them did not meet the manufacturer's expectations. The company intended to sell more than a million of these headsets within a year, but in practice, in the first 12 months after the announcement, it was possible to sell only about 6 thousand units. One of the reasons for low demand was the high cost of $2,300. In this situation, it was decided to put an end to the project.[1]
2018
Sales of prescription lenses for VR glasses Magic Leap One have begun
In a December 19, 2018 newsletter, Magic Leap notified customers of the start of sales of prescription lenses for its Magic Leap One VR headset.
Sales of the $2,300 Magic Leap One frame were launched back in August 2018, but the search for suitable lenses remained the responsibility of the buyer. Since December, magnetic lenses can be purchased from Frames Direct for $250, which is about 2.5 times more expensive than Warby Parker's base pair of plastic lens glasses.
Despite the fact that many glasses owners managed to use the VR headset without removing the glasses, the unique design of the Magic Leap One makes the use of glasses in conjunction with the device especially non-portable. So the introduction of prescription lenses turned out to be a step forward for many Magic Leap developers and fans who wanted to use Magic Leap One, but could not fully enjoy the projected picture.
Lenses are only available for short-sighted patients whose visual acuity is in the following range: SPH -7.5 to 0, CYL: -4 to 0, or (SPH + CYL): -7.5 to 0. For people with pronounced myopia and far-sighted buyers, these lenses will not work. One way or another, when placing an order, the buyer will need a valid prescription from a doctor indicating the required strength of the lenses and the interpupular distance. The lenses, according to the company, will, among other things, have an anti-reflective coating.
It is worth noting that the installation of lenses is very simple due to the fact that they are attached to magnets and easily fall into place. You just need to remove the lenses supplied with the headset and insert new ones, and then enter the data from the recipe into Magic Leap One using the path "Settings" > "Device" > "Calibration." This data is entered each time the lenses are changed to normal[2]
Points review
Any developer of immersive solutions always needs to keep a finger on the pulse and monitor the new products. Technologies are rapidly developing and emerging devices can provide serious opportunities for research and the creation of commercial products in the field of VR/. AR One of these devices was the Magic Leap One (ML1) mixed reality glasses (helmet), sales of which started in August 2018. Magic Leap One costs $2,700 and so far is officially sold only in the territory. USA
In the consortium of the National Technological Initiative (NTI) on neurotechnologies, virtual and augmented reality, they were able to obtain and test one of the first samples in Russia. We examined the features of the device that qualitatively distinguish Magic Leap One from current solutions in the market and provide an understanding of the development of mixed reality. Dmitry Kirillov, an expert at the NTI FEFU AR/VR Center, spoke about the results of TAdviser testing.
Field of view
In Magic Leap One, the developers have achieved a feeling of almost complete coverage of the user's direct vision, which is achieved thanks to a number of features of the device.
ML1 has a really larger viewing angle, about 40 degrees horizontally and 30 vertically (for comparison, Microsoft Hololens glasses released in 2016 have these indicators of about 30 and 17 degrees, respectively). However, this angle of view is not enough to create a sense of connection between the augmented layer and reality. A number of techniques are used to obtain it.
The device itself has a structure that covers the body of a person's peripheral vision, which allows you to limit the user's natural angle of view, and the waveguides themselves, onto which the picture is projected, are closer to the eyes. On the one hand, this avoids the "porthole" effect, as in Hololens, when the user clearly senses a rectangular window in which holograms are visible. On the other hand, if you could put glasses under Hololens, then it will not work with ML1 anymore, and you will have to use special inserts with lenses that are attached inside the device.
At the software level, there is an effect of smooth image departure into transparency at the viewing boundaries, which is also more comfortable perceived than in the solution from Microsoft.
All these techniques allow you to create a sense of connecting the real and virtual world. Objects are perceived as inscribed in real space. There is no feeling that there is some kind of "window" through which you need to look for a hologram, or this hologram is sharply cut off, and we see a real table and half a virtual circle on it, which immediately destroys the sense of connection between virtual and real objects, as is often the case in Hololens.
Ergonomics
The device itself is separated into two parts: Light Pack and Light Wear, which seems to be a rather interesting solution, since such a design made it possible to greatly relieve the weight of the device worn on the head.
The head mount is easy and easy to use. It is enough to dilute the mount to the sides and put the device on the head, the mount itself will close to the optimal size. This design seems interesting, and may be adopted by VR helmet manufacturers, as many began to copy the Hololens and PlayStation VR mount option at one time. By wearing ML1 you can start using the device comfortably almost immediately. In the case of Hololens, it is often necessary to carry out a number of manipulations when putting on, since the device can press on the nose or make it difficult to view holograms when the Vizor is in the wrong position in front of the eyes.
The wires connecting Light Pack and Light Wear interfere with the work, they are quite massive, perhaps in subsequent versions they will be made thinner and more elastic. In the meantime, it is better to throw them behind their backs so that they do not interfere with manipulating their hands. The Light Wear computing unit itself is relatively small and lightweight, easily attached to a pocket, but can cause inconvenience if this pocket is not present. In this case, you will have to look for other methods of attachment or hold the block in your hand. It is important to take into account that Light Wear cannot be hung so that the fan is limited, since ML1 has active cooling.
In general, this approach to ergonomics and layout of the device seems reasonable. The Light Pack worn on the head from the Vizor side is quite compact, and, looking at this device, it no longer seems that there is a lot of time left before the full-fledged AR/MR in ordinary glasses. The main volume of the Light Pack creates a mount, not the Vizor itself. Apparently this is due to wires that, with a lighter mount, due to their massiveness and rigidity, would constantly shift the Vizor on the user's head.
Tracking
Space must be calibrated before using the ML1. This, to be honest, is a little tired, because each time you need to lead your head to certain points. In terms of calibration convenience, Hololens still wins, because in this device it takes place almost on the fly.
Tracking is somewhat worse for ML1 than for Hololens. In some cases, planes with a reflecting surface are not captured. It may not necessarily be a mirror. Errors can occur due to a lacquered table or floor. So in several rooms with dark floors it was not possible to calibrate the space.
Image
The image is quite high quality and bright, but in the open sun it will be visible much worse than indoors.
Even though the glasses appear strongly tinted on the outside, this blackout is not felt on the inside. Aberrations and glare often occur from light sources. Similar effects are observed in Hololens, but they look slightly different there and arise mainly along the periphery.
Interaction
One of the key innovations in ML1 is a controller that understands its position in space by 6 degrees of freedom (6DoF). This allows you to fully interact with virtual objects and opens up really new opportunities for testing and designing new Augmented and Mixed Reality application environments. Perceptions are also changing quite a bit. It's one thing to click on an object, another to drop a virtual cup from a real table by waving your hand with the controller.
The controller simultaneously acts as a pointer, which is convenient to capture objects at a distance, and a manipulator, which can interact as a continuation of the hand.
The controller itself contains several buttons and a touch panel. In some cases, the joystick has a strong drift, which most often manifests itself next to metal surfaces, since magnetic tracking technology is used. However, in most cases, the joystick behaves quite predictably.
Conclusion
Should I purchase Magic Leap One? If you are a Virtual/Augmented/Mixed Reality developer, then it is definitely worth it. ML1 provides a whole new level for interacting with a virtual environment. This can be compared to the advent of HTC Vive, when it became possible to interact with virtual objects in space using 6DoF joysticks. And, as you can see, this trend does not subside and goes into mobile VR helmets.
Of course, ML1 is not yet a user device, and it is too early to use it at home or in production. The powerful PR campaign has added fuel to the fire, too, and greatly inflated consumer expectations. Magic Leap One is not a revolution, but it is definitely a step in the right direction for the entire immersion technology industry, for experiments and research on the use of mixed reality devices in various cases.
2017: Device Announcement
On December 20, 2017, the startup Magic Leap, which by October 2017 had attracted investments totaling $1.9 billion, published photos and information about its augmented reality (AR) device on the company's website. The development of a model called Magic Leap One Creator Edition was carried out for several years in the strictest secret - the company reveals details about the new product for the first time.[3]
The Magic Leap One Creator Edition kit, designed for developers, consists of three devices. The first of these is Lightwear glasses with Digital Lightfield technology, six built-in cameras, high-end speakers and microphones, various sensors and sensors. It is noted that the gadget supports several input modes, including voice and gesture, and also recognizes head movements and monitors the look.
A computing module called Lightpack is wired to the glasses. A small block in a round case is attached to a belt and is responsible for processing data and graphics. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Magic Leap founder and CEO Rony Abovitz said that Lightpack will be comparable in performance to a MacBook Pro or Alienware gaming computer.[4]
The third element is the Control wireless controller with support for touch control and Haptic Feedback tactile technology.
According to the manufacturer's plans, deliveries of Magic Leap One Creator Edition should begin in 2018, but the company does not name a specific date. Magic Leap also warned that they continue to improve the new product, so its appearance may change by the time it enters the market.
Information about the price of the device in Magic Leap by December 21, 2017 was not disclosed, but earlier people familiar with the company's plans said that the device could cost in the range from $1000 to $1500, reports Business Insider.[5]
- ↑ Magic Leap’s original headset will stop working at the end of 2024
- ↑ and vice versa. Magic Leap One Prescription Inserts Are Finally Available
- ↑ Magic Leap One
- ↑ Magic Leap: Founder of Secretive Start-Up Unveils Mixed-Reality Goggles
- ↑ After 6 years and $1.9 billion, secretive startup Magic Leap unveils its smart glasses for first time
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