Virtual reality starts making some headway in the consumer space. Canon, best known for its cameras, is looking to break into the mixed reality scene with its new head-mounted display MREAL. Canon is bringing that knowledge of lenses and optics to an innovative display system that blends the real world with computer graphics, using marker recognition so that physical objects can be picked out and manipulated in the digital environment.
Canon MREAL Mixed Reality Headset
Generally, you strap on a headset and perhaps some kind of glove or controller, and the head-mounted display will invoke an overlay on top of reality. Sometimes you can interact with the overlay, sometimes you can’t.
The core of the setup is the Canon HMD (head-mounted display) which works in conjunction with various sensors optical and magnetic, as well as visual markers to help create the mixed reality environment. The HMD employs two cameras located in front of each eye that captures video and shoots it off to an off-board, tethered computer. The computer then combines the real-world visuals with computer generated visuals, and beams that back to two monitors placed in front of the eyes within the HMD. The unit combines with a development platform, dubbed the MR Platform, which allows companies to create mixed reality images to display on the HMD.
Its goes on sale on March 1, but is unfortunately not targeted to general consumers, as the thing retails for $125,000, with a $25,000 price tag for annual maintenance, so if you like virtual reality and you have wish to try it, due to the high price that’ll probably remain just a wish.
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By combining the rich, visual information of the real world and the flexibility offered by computer-generated images, MR offers an imaging experience that is a step ahead of existing virtual reality technology
The MREAL System for Mixed Reality generates video of one’s surroundings using a pair of cameras positioned in front of the wearer’s eyes,
