At its 2021 Inno Day conference held this week, Oppo has unveiled the Oppo Air Glass. The aR (assisted Reality) device supports four different user interactions through touch, voice, head movement, and hand motion, allowing users to have faster and easier access to the information they need. It is equipped with Oppo self-developed Spark Micro Projector, cutting-edge Micro LED, and a bespoke diffraction optical waveguide display.
“Oppo has been exploring the possibilities of Extended Reality (XR) for a long time, and with Air Glass, we have finally created a smart glass product that is truly within the reach of consumers,” said Levin Liu, Oppo vice president and head of Oppo Research Institute. “As its futuristic design suggests, Oppo Air Glass is set to revolutionize the way we view and consume information. The easy-to-use display can present key messages we need right in front of our eyes. With Oppo Air Glass, the world will never look the same again.”
Pioneering form: thin and lightweight design inspired by nature
The Oppo Air Glass is built around a monocle waveguide design. Based on Oppo’s distinctive design philosophy, the Air Glass features free-flowing curves, which give birth to its lightweight and minimalist appearance. With a total weight of approximately 30g, the Air Glass is one of the lightest monocle waveguide devices in the industry and can be worn much like a pair of regular glasses.
The design of the main body takes its inspiration from feathers – light, sleek and curved, with a touchbar that resembles an elegant feather shaft. The design of the monocular waveguide lens, on the other hand, is inspired by the wings of the cicada, breaking away from the conventional confines of rounded or rounded rectangular lenses on glasses. The lens is secured to a light and slim frame, which houses all the components, including the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100 Platform.
The frame of the Air Glass is manufactured with CNC technique, imparting the design with a touch of precision. Its eye-catching design makes it a stylish tech accessory for daily wear, even when users are not actually using it.
Self-developed Spark Micro Projector, finished with cutting-edge Micro LED and five high-transparency glass lenses, delivers an avant-garde aR experience
By integrating Oppo’s Micro Projector, advanced Micro LED, and custom waveguide technology, the Air Glass delivers bright and sharp content whether worn indoor or outdoor, guaranteeing a superior aR experience at all times.
At the heart of the Air Glass display system is Oppo’s self-developed Spark Micro Projector – one of the most compact projection system in the industry is of merely 0.5cc, or roughly the size of a coffee bean. The projector features a CNC metal enclosure with a glass lens module to provide better heat dissipation and stability. The projector is powered by a cutting-edge Micro LED, which has a brightness of up to 3 million nits.
The Air Glass adopts a bespoke optical diffraction waveguide, supporting two display modes – 16-level grayscale and 256-level grayscale – and can deliver up to 1400 nits in average brightness, ensuring a vivid and sharp visual display in different lighting conditions. Additionally, two layers of sapphire glass are used to encase the waveguide on both sides, providing protection with improved transparency.
Its designed to be as accessible to as many people as possible, including users with refractive errors such as myopia and hypermetropia. The glasses are available in two different types of frames – a silver half-frame, and a black full-frame that can better accommodate users who require corrective eyewear. Both colours are available in two sizes.
The Oppo Air Glass can be operated using the Smart Glass App on Oppo Watch 2 and any Oppo smartphone installed with ColorOS 11 or above versions. It also supports four intuitive methods of interaction – touch, voice, hand motions, and head movements.
When Air Glass is paired with an Oppo Watch 2, users can also use hand movements to confirm, cancel, and switch application cards. For a new way of interaction, head movements can be recognized by Air Glass, for example gently nodding or shaking the head can open and close notifications respectively.
Developing diverse applications together with industry partners
The smartglasses are installed with a variety of applications, including those developed by Oppo. These include Weather, Calendar, Health, Teleprompter, Translation, and Navigation.
The translation function is a great help for cross-cultural communication. Once paired, voice input from one user will be automatically translated into target language texts, and then immediately displayed on the other user’s Air Glass. Air Glass now supports Mandarin Chinese-English two-way translation, and Mandarin Chinese-Japanese and Mandarin Chinese-Korean will be offered soon in future.
Oppo has also been working closely with Baidu to customize applications such as Baidu Walk & Bike Navigation and Explore Nearby for the Air Glass. Through the navigation, users can receive instructions for travel by foot or bike, while Explore Nearby can display information about nearby stores and other attractions based on a user’s location and orientation.