Apple has been granted a patent by the US Patent and Trademark Office for a pair of portable media viewing goggles. The patent says they “may resemble ski or motorcycle goggles.” The device would likely allow for a 3D viewing experience reminiscent of that found in the Oculus Rift VR headset. The patent was filed […]
SensoMotoric Instruments (SMI) have returned with a new pair of the Eye Tracking Glasses. We saw SMI unveil what they were referring to as the first pair of 3D glasses with full eye-tracking capabilities back in February and as of today they have returned with Eye Tracking Glasses 2.0. And along with the 2.0 tag, […]
3D printing has seen its fair share of successes, and in one case, students from Harvard University have plans to use 3D printing so that the blind are able to ”see” art. Well, it seems that there is another use for 3D printing this time around, and it could be used for you to try on prescription glasses online. Jonathan Coon, the co-founder and CEO of 1-800 Contacts and its spin-off site Glasses.com, intends to let you do more than just see the glasses that you want online, but rather, hopes to release the app known as Glasses.com 3D Fit that enables an augmented reality shopping experience thanks to the use of 3D technology in order to have it virtually fit onto your face.
With the help of an iPad and the app itself, the user would capture hundreds of pictures of one’s face, so that 15 different angles shot will be used to create an accurate 3D rendering of one’s visage. This is followed by shopping for glasses, where you will then place a bunch of styles on the 3D version of you, including pulling down the glasses virtually so that you have a better idea on how this particular pair that you are partial to would look like when it rests on the tip of your nose. Neat, no?
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Nike+ FuelBand App Updated, Panasonic Lumix G6 Announced, 
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A German eye-tracking company by the name of SensoMotoric Instruments (SMI) have built what they claim are the first pair of 3D glasses with full eye-tracking capabilities. They call the technology ActiveEye, and it combines eye tracking with 3D in order to give users the most realistic experience while using the glasses.
The glasses also have “6D” head tracking, along with the 3D eye tracking. The company partnered up with Volfoni to bring the 3D portion to the glasses, which feature active shutter technology that you see in a lot of advanced 3D glasses today. The 6D head tracking is there to detect gazes whenever the user turn their head to point toward an object.
The glasses offer real-time gaze streaming in world coordinates by measuring the position and orientation of the user’s head within a defined space. The glasses are simply worn like a normal pair of glasses, and the eye tracking is made possible by two small cameras on the outer rim of the glasses while another camera records the field of view from the user’s perspective. The three orbs on each side allow for the 6D head tracking, and they’re detachable for easy storage.
While the Oculus Rift was a big hit at CES a few weeks ago, it’s going to have some stiff competition sooner or later once virtual reality starts taking off. The eye tracking system from SMI supports Microsoft’s Kinect, so it can already be used with technology that people already have. However, there’s no word on availability or pricing for SMI’s 3D glasses.
SMI unveils first 3D glasses with full eye tracking is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Glasses-free 3D: eventually someone is going to get this right, and researchers in South Korea are well on their way, which means eventually we might be able to go to a 3D movie without having to wear those dorky, uncomfortable glasses. More »
Peter Jackson’s decision to shoot The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at 48 fps and in 3D raised a lot of eyebrows among Lord Of the Rings fans. But not the Tolkien marketing machine who saw an opportunity to cook up these tacky Hobbit-themed 3D glasses for the film’s release. More »
This week we got the chance to speak with Gene Dolgoff, known for his invention of the LCD projector, digital projection in general, and his new device that’s up on Fundable right this minute. As he’s more than ready to let you know, he’s also got an incredibly fun fact up his sleeve: he inspired Gene Roddenberry to create the holodeck in Star Trek. It’s from there you’ll find yourself a bit intrigued with the next step in our current abilities to present 3D video and images through our own devices – with help of 3-D Vision technology that Dolgoff presents here and now.
We shot a few pointed questions at Dolgoff before he jumped right in on his Reddit AMA which, we’ll vouch for, is certainly going on today right here: [Ask ]. Have a peek at what we got to know about the project as it’s being developed for the consumer world as we speak.
SlashGear: What’s your ultimate goal with 3-D Vision technology?
Gene Dolgoff: I have been involved in the effort to promote 3-D to the world since the beginning of the 1960s. Now that the world is finally catching up, but is stalled when it comes to consumer 3-D at home (for TVs, computers, projectors, and handheld devices), I want to break that logjam with our revolutionary technology and move the world to the next level so that everyone can view and make 3-D anytime and anywhere they want.
SG: Will the device being released in the Fundable program you’ve got up right now require special eyewear for the user to see 3D? Or will the output completely depend on the device it’s working with?
GD: Our Instant 3-D Converter(TM) is currently designed to use special 3-D glasses. One type is for use with any TV set and the other type is for use with computers and handheld devices. We include one pair of each type of 3-D glasses with the converter (additional glasses will also be sold separately).
SG: What are the limits of the video content 3-D Vision technology can convert successfully?
GD: Our Instant 3-D Converter can convert any video content to 3-D instantly with high quality. Our inputs are composite, component, VGA, and HDMI.
SG: Why did you choose to work with Fundable rather than seeking out funding via traditional means?
GD: We have a business plan and even a draft private placement memorandum and are starting to talk to potential investors. However, that route is typically a slow route, and we want to get this technology out as quickly as possible. Crowd funding potentially provides a faster route for initial funding if your product and company meets the right criteria (which I think ours does).
I had been talking with the founders of fundable.com since before they launched their site. We all felt that, working together, we could be beneficial to each other both in raising some initial capital in a relatively short period of time, and in demonstrating consumer interest, which can be very important in influencing potential conventional investors.
SG: What are your plans for projects beyond this one? Will you continue your work towards a real Star Trek holodeck situation?
GD: We do have other consumer-oriented as well as commercial 3-D products in the pipeline, and will intend to continue to develop them into products and large markets. If we are successful enough to produce the kind of funding needed, we will continue to also pursue the development of holodeck-like products and applications.
Stay tuned as we follow this project through to full funding and beyond! Also be sure to check out the 3-D Vision Fundable project right now and toss in some cash for early access to the device!
3-D Vision CEO Gene Dolgoff speaks on his magical 2D to 3D conversion device is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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