Over the past 12 months the technology powering the next generation of virtual and augmented reality kits has come in leaps and bounds, with brands like the Oculus Rift starting to gain mainstream attention. Now we've been treated to a new glimpse of what's in store with a new demo video from Magic Leap.
Magic Leap is a startup company developing augmented reality (AR) technology that we've so far only heard rumours about. Augmented reality, for the uninitiated, overlays digital graphics on top of the real world - it's not quite the same as virtual reality, where the viewer is immersed in an experience that's completely artificial. Google Glass and Microsoft's HoloLens are other examples of AR headsets.
What exactly Magic Leap has in the pipeline is still something of a mystery, but at least we now have a better idea of what it can do, courtesy of the clip above: robots that hide under tables and Solar System projections that float in the middle of the room. Magic Leap has already attracted hundreds of millions of dollars in investment from the likes of Google and chip maker Qualcomm.
In March, the company published another demo video showing some of the ways augmented reality could enhance the gaming experience, as a player blasts away robot enemies invading his office. This new clip is said to be closer to the actual Magic Leap experience, with no extra image manipulation or processing added on top.
Whatever's in store from Magic Leap, you might be using it sooner than you think. "We're actually gearing up to build millions of things," Magic Leap CEO Rony Abovitz announced at a tech conference earlier this week. "We're not ready to announce when we're shipping, but it gives you a signal that we're not far."
Magic Leap has promised the eyewear won't be embarrassing to wear in public, so it has that going for it at least.
The best guesses so far suggest Magic Leap's technology involves retinal projection, where digital images are beamed directly into the eyes. Abovtiz himself has a background in medical devices, which is where the technology is believed to have originated. Until the company goes public though, these brief showreels are all we have to go on.
By this time next year, AR and VR technology will have taken another significant step forward: consumer editions of both the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive virtual reality headsets are due to go on sale during 2016. Let's hope Magic Leap has something official to announce within the same timescale.