Patent Pending: Progressive Reality Eyewear for Mixed Reality.

ProgressiveReality™

Progressive Reality could be defined as an experience that segues between Virtual and Augmented Reality worlds on-demand. Progressive Reality capable eyewear would allow for the ultimate “XR” or extended reality experience to users.

I’d first thought of the concept in 2012 while researching for the hard sci-fi novel “Memories with Maya” and inspired by the stylish Vuzix eyewear’s form factor promised back then. In the book, the main characters develop such a progressive reality “Wizer” (visor+A.I) that can switch between AR and VR when needed by rotating a cross-polarizer to block out light from the real world.

Coincidentally or not, concept images for Apple’s rumored AR glasses actually show round frames, as does Magic Leap’s Magic Leap One glasses. This could in theory, allow clip-on cross polarizers to be rotated to either switch between AR and VR. However, by using an electronically controlled LCD polarizer, it should be possible to allow any form factor eye-wear to control the segue between AR and VR or vice versa.

First, a little bit more on the beginnings of optical see thru AR.

I first heard of and saw demos of the Vuzix Star AR glasses while researching for what the fictional “Wizer” would eventually be. Even back then, ‘Optical See Thru’ Augmented Reality showed good promise as the video above, shows. Today, the Hololens and Magic Leap One are improving on the quality of the visuals, world tracking, while slowly expanding the field of view.

The ideal Progressive Reality Eyewear:

• Would have the form factor of the upcoming (current) Vuzix Blade
• LCD based Cross polarizing solution with button press activation.
• A Unity3D based SDK that allows for authoring Mixed Reality Experiences; electronically switching the LCD cross polarizer, or more importantly – progressively – allowing for a segue between a VR world into our Augmented reality.

Progressive Reality: Case Study

Seamlessly entering and exiting Virtual worlds or having Digital Surrogates step out of a Virtual world and into ours is the very definition of Progressive Reality. This can be realized today with “Video See Thru” Mixed Reality Experiences.

The image above is from one such experience in pre-production. While it won’t be my Digital Double featuring in the finished piece, the story-line could feature the audience starting out immersed in a virtual world, face to face with the main character who then can take a step forward progressing to ‘enter’ our world to accentuate, perhaps a monologue in the Cinematic Mixed Reality film.

With current Video See Thru (A VR cellphone based headset brings the real world into the scene via the phone’s camera) it is a simple matter to:

• Turn on the rear camera on the cellphone via a line of code – Unity3D
• Hide or remove the VR film set
• start the AR scene with the Digital Double augmented in the real world.

I predict a couple of years we’ll see the first Progressive Reality experiences and Eyewear coming to Market.

If  the concepts documented here motivate manufacturers, producers or researchers to bring these ideas to fruition, I’d appreciate acknowledgment.