Nobody saw it coming but Canon launched augmented reality glasses. Are the MREAL S1 and although they are not something very aesthetic, they are another indicator of the avalanche of devices of this type that await us in a matter of, perhaps, two or three years.
The other vision of Canon
Canon is ready to launch a new product where logically there are image sensors capable of capturing both photos and video. But they are not going to be used in a standard camera as we are used to, nor in any proposal similar to that particular monocular with camera functions. On this occasion, what they have in their hands are some new augmented reality glasses called MREAL S1.
The MREAL S1 are not the first augmented reality glasses that the brand manufactures. Some time ago it already launched two previous proposals called MD-10 and MD-20, but comparatively these are much lighter (137 grams) and less bulky. Even so, the design is still very particular, very much like a science fiction comic. So they are not something to take down the street as some want with so much rumor of Apple Glass.
Canon's idea here is to offer a device with very specific uses within certain environments. For example, to see what the interaction with some kind of conceptual product would be like. Something that in the video shared by the brand shows the way in which the user could interact with an object that without being present and without being able to touch it would allow us to see what type of interaction it would offer.
And like the previous example of the car, many others of the type of being able to place objects on other surfaces or real scenarios that would surround the user who was wearing these glasses. In short, nothing really that has not already been seen in previous presentations of proposals from other brands such as Microsoft and its Hololens, etc.
An evolution in size and shape
As we said before, the MREAL S1 are not Canon's first augmented reality glasses. The brand has already launched two models in the past, the MD-10 and MD-20. The difference here is in the dimensions of the device itself, which little by little is being reduced thanks to the advancement of technology and manufacturing processes of the different components.
Even so, despite being a product that only weighs 137 grams, it must be said that it is still somewhat bulky to always wear. At least if your idea is to go down the street with them. In work environments things change and there details such as power can be very convenient. lift the front as if they were protective glasses.
Finally, in the event that someone thought they could take advantage of it, getting a Canon MREAL S1 will not be cheap at all. They will cost $38.000, but you would not only buy the glasses, but also the software, the necessary equipment to run it and the maintenance that Canon would offer both at the application and hardware level.
A product of the future, not of the present
With everything seen, the Canon MREAL S1 are a very particular proposal that look to the future, but they are not logically something of the present. There is still time for us to see solutions of this type reach the consumer user and begin to integrate them naturally, as we have done with the smartphone or other connected devices, into their daily lives.
apple glasses, one of the most anticipated products, hopefully they would leave in the second half of 2022. And yet it is possible that what is seen at that time is only a preview of what would come months later. But as we say, these types of solutions may be very striking, but they are not something that we can right now say are viable and for everyone.