However, despite the fact that Google Glass failed, the corporation has not given up on the idea. As a result of this lack of success, the company has resorted to acquisitions in order to bring in fresh personnel and cutting-edge technologies.
It bought North, a developer of augmented reality glasses, two years ago, and it has bought Raxium, a company that makes microLED displays for augmented reality and virtual reality. The purchase price has not been disclosed, although past estimates put the value of the company at roughly $1 billion.
A backlight is not required for microLED since each pixel is capable of emitting its own light. Unlike OLED, microLED claims to be more energy-efficient, brighter, and longer-lasting because of the materials it uses (like burn-in).
However, making microLEDs small enough for head-mounted systems has proven a difficulty. Moreover, they must be tiny in order to occupy a large area of your field of vision. According to Raxium, it has developed OLED pixels that are as tiny as 3.5 m, which is a significant reduction in size.
For the time being, Raxium has not created a mass-market product, which is for the best. A $600 set of AR glasses, the Focals 1.0, was on the market from North, but they were quickly reduced in price. After Google’s takeover, the glasses’ service was shut off, making them useless.
In any case, Google, Apple, and Meta have all been purchasing AR eyewear firms recently. Although smart glasses have the potential to replace smartphones as the primary means of interacting with the digital world, few people have adopted them since the technology is still in its infancy.
“OLED can’t compete with the brightness of MicroLED. With outdoor usage in mind, this is especially vital “DSCC’s director of display research, Guillaume Chansin, agreed. “In terms of resolution, contrast and brightness, microLEDs have the ability to achieve all of these. As a result, smart eyewear developers have made it a key part of their business plans.”
Apple is also said to be working on a headset for mixed reality or augmented reality. Micro OLED panels might be used in the headgear, which could cost up to $3,000 when released. For $3,500, Microsoft offers the HoloLens 2, a device designed for use in industry. Oculus Quest 2, a consumer-oriented VR headgear from Facebook, currently known as Meta, costs $300. The Oculus Quest has been rebranded to Meta Quest by Meta.
Google’s perspective augmented reality headset market goal is still up in the air. If it does come out, it’s too early to determine when or if it will be released.