Growing demand for business AR drives down cost of smart glasses

Epson, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of augmented reality smart eyewear, has announced it will be increasing production of its market leading AR Moverio smart glasses, while at the same time reducing the price of its commercial models for use by business.

The announcement is in response to growing demand for AR applications in the workplace with the increasing implementation of real use cases across a wide and diverse range of commercial sectors including retail, healthcare, dentistry, education, entertainment, repair & maintenance, museums  and visitor attractions.

‘Augmented reality is fast coming of age, as many businesses are now moving from proof of concept to mainstream implementation’ explains Valerie Riffaud-Cangelosi, Epson’s head of new market development for Moverio. ‘Now economies of scale allied to increased demand for Epson’s market leading smart eyewear solutions means we can make Moverio even more affordable and enable many more businesses to take advantage of augmented reality applications in the workplace.

‘Over the next eighteen months Epson expects to see a significant rise in augmented reality applications in the workplace and we are keen to see as many companies as possible benefit from the advantages offered by our market-leading augmented reality smart eyewear.’

Epson was one of the first companies to enter the AR market and has been developing augmented reality smart eyewear solutions since 2011.

Epson’s focus on commercial applications distinguishes the Moverio range from other smart glasses on the market and, developed with function at the forefront, Moverio has proved very popular with business customers and independent software vendors (ISVs).

Epson is committed to working closely with developers across all industry sectors looking to bring real applications to improve the workplace. The new prices of the Moverio business range (covering the BT-350, BT-2000 and BT-2200) will ensure there are no barriers to entry for companies keen to develop new commercial applications and will stimulate more extensive deployment of smart eyewear across the workplace.

The latest generation of Moverio technology is now the lightest Si-OLED binocular see-through smart glass on the market and combines Epson’s unique silicon-based digital display technology providing truly transparent mobile hands free AR experiences for a range of valuable business applications.

Valerie Riffaud-Cangelosi, continues: “The design and wearability of Moverio is key to its success in business and the BT-350 is designed with commercial applications in mind. Its durable build and features designed for comfort means it can be used for long periods in the workplace, fitting comfortably, no matter the head shape, size, or if the user wears glasses. The battery lasts up to six hours, ideal for the working day and includes built-in connectivity and sensors such as Bluetooth Smart, Wi-Fi, Miracast and motion sensors. The smart glasses can also deliver 3D content, and it can visually detect items in front of a visitor using a high-resolution, five megapixel stereo camera.’

Prices effective from 1^st December 2017 and exclude local taxes

Moverio BT-350: £816.67 (ex VAT), £980.00 (inc VAT)

Moverio BT-2000: £1483.33 (ex VAT), £1,780.00 (inc VAT)

Moverio BT-2200: £1483.33 (ex VAT), £1,780.00 (inc VAT)