Lynx R-1: Mixed-Reality

Previous augmented reality glasses with transparent glasses often have representation problems with bright sunlight - and only a small field of view, so that only in a narrow rectangle objects are displayed in the real world. The Mixed Reality Headset Lynx R-1 should not suffer from these disadvantages - and in addition to serve as an affordable, independent VR system, which in contrast to Facebooks Oculus Quest 2 should not evaluate advertising data.

The egg-laying Wollmilchsau was developed by a small start-up company from Paris: so it should serve as self-employed AR glasses and VR glasses and incidentally make novel mixed forms (mixed reality) possible. In addition to the apps running directly on the Snapdragon XR2 (is also installed in the quest 2), the device can also stream VR games from the PC. In a first presentation, the USB cable worked only conditionally - later it should also be possible wirelessly via routers, similar to the quest.

Founder and CEO Stan Larroque announced the prices as part of the Kickstarter campaign in a Youtube stream, which should start at the end of September. $ 499 are due for the black standard edition, $ 699 for the limited special edition with transparent enclosures and 899 euros for the Professional Edition for companies. An exact date for the campaign start or delivery is not yet fixed. The first 100 units produced at the end of 2021 are to be sent to Kickstarter supporters at least in February 2022.

Already in the past few months, the project made for some swirls under technology enthusiasts, as the designers have opted for an idiosyncratic, currently favorable implementable AR approach.

The trick on the thing: Here a screen with special lenses hangs directly in front of the user's eyes. Cameras at the front catch the real world, which is displayed on the back screen with added computer graphics. Thus, e.g. when walking through an office, the illusion, not only to walk through the room, but also through some planets that float around in it. A demo removed away from Pokémon Go also already exists: In it, a virtual lynx seems to walk through the real room.

(Click for magnification)

Even more impressive worked a yesterday's presentation, in which the player in the empty courtyard of the company by a virtual door step (see below, from minute 17:20). Suddenly he was practically in a letter from computer graphics, but could see the real world and his colleagues on the other side of the door - and finally go back to them.

Creative game designers are likely to worry about such opportunities in the mind in such opportunities: how about an adventure in which you alternately alternate between the real and virtual world in the investigation? Or a shooter in which the player supplies a catal and mouse game with virtual enemies around a portal?

Let's get back to the hardware: As soon as you put all around shepherds on the device, it suddenly looks like a virtual reality headset and can also be used without disturbing incident light for classic VR games. Ports from the quest should be mostly feasible according to Larroque with the help of Open-XR support.

Controllers are unfortunately not in the pack when delivering the Kickstarter versions. Of course, this decision could prove itself as a stumbling stone for the amount of ported games. Instead, you are planning in cooperation with accessories partners, optionally cheap controllers with thumbsticks - so the CEO in stream. By the way, the Lynx R-1 or your software will be operated by hand tracking - suitable for the original planning for a sale to company.

As advantages, Larroque presents specially shaped lenses from a Spanish partner company: This design is necessary due to the low distance to the eyes and significantly less susceptible to light-streaks than today's common hybrid fresnel lenses from the VR industry. The battery at the back should not only hold around three to four hours, but also provide ideal weight shift with a center of gravity in the middle of the head. In addition, they are aware of the European alternative to large corporations from Silicon Valley and China.

This also meant that one would like to earn (in the long term) revenue with the product itself, instead of putting Facebook for revenue from the advertising business. A consequence of it is, of course, that you can not sell the product with loss as some competitors. However, the price of the standard variant is still chosen as low as possible to enable end customers a purchase.

Incidentally, a few months ago, a search for investors failed because they demanded for optimistic success promises and threatened the company's independence. Then followed a strategy change with a cheaper entry-level price for end consumers and kickstarter plans. Click here for the official website on which one can already enter the newsletter to miss no news about the Kickstarter campaign.