Video of SmartEyeglass Attach! from Sony is released

Sony continues to seed interest in its smart eyewear concept. Sony recently released a video showing the SmartEyeglass Attach! in action, sent to YouTube via the Sony's Xperia Development team. The video is a follow-up to Sony's introduction at CES 2015 of its single-lens display module with OLED tech. The concept focuses on being able to turn existing eyeglasses or sunglasses into smart devices.

Showcased at CES 2015 was the technology in the form of this concept model tagged "SmartEyeglass Attach!" Unlike Google Glass, Sony designed this smart eyewear solution not as a standalone product but as a snap-on device which you can store away when it does not suit the occasion. The idea is for the user to get relevant information through passive and short notifications so the wearer can focus attention on notifications if and when needed. TechCrunch writer Darrell Etherington said the SmartEyeglass Attach! as a modular device was suited for industrial, enterprise and action sports users "without requiring consumers to pick up expensive additional gear." Sony said the "small sub-window" does not obstruct the person's field of vision.

The module includes a high-resolution color OLED micro display. Specifically, this is a 0.23 inch OLED micro display that Sony said was "among the smallest in the world." The display measures 0.23 inches diagonally. The module has a resolution of 640 x 400 pixels with a luminance of 800 nits and contrast ratio of 10,000:1.

Image projection works in lighting conditions ranging from sunny outdoor environments to dark rooms indoors. Projected images are equivalent to field of view for a 16-inch display at a distance of two meters. Sensors include a three-axis accelerometer sensor, geomagnetic sensor, touch sensors and communication module supporting Bluetooth and Wireless LAN. (An app can either run on the "Single-Lens Display Module" itself, or be installed and executed on a connected smartphone, which then communicates with the module over Wireless LAN and Bluetooth. "By running an app on the module itself, it can be used independently of any other hardware," said Sony.)

Who are targeted candidates? People doing exercise workouts, playing sports or seeking access to instructions but needing to be hands-free in order to perform other tasks would find this useful. As its name suggests, SmartEyeglass Attach! was designed to work with a person's existing eyeglasses or sunglasses. When attached, it turns eyewear into a smart device capable of displaying visual information.

What's the future for this eyewear tech? Sony unveiled a display module for the first time at the 2015 CES event and showed it in the form of this "SmartEyeglass Attach!." That was proposed as one potential use for the module, intended as something attached to eyewear pieces. In the corporate news release in December to announce its development of the "Single-Lens Display Module," Sony stated it is aiming to start mass production of this display module within the coming year. "It is looking to provide the product to a wide variety of potential customers, from eyewear makers whose pieces are tailored for specific uses such as sports or entertainment, to electronics manufacturers who are considering pairing their products with wearable devices, to companies that provide business solutions utilizing wearable devices."

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