Avegant Glyph

The first of its kind, the Avegant Glyph brings entertainment directly to your eyes. Avegant’s Glyph is a virtual headset with serious potential. Currently in its latest alpha design, the Michigan-based Avegant is set to release a Kickstarter edition January 22nd, selling the headset for $499. While the wearable entertainment device will be ready to order through Kickstarter in January, the headsets won’t actually ship until “later in the year.”

The technology uses “virtual retinal display,” which uses a micromirror array of up to 2 million micromirrors and a single LED to project crisp 3D images directly ont to the retina. Technically speaking, this method of projecting images would not require goggles, so the Glyph is different than Google Glass in that regard. While the Avegant Glyph can be worn on the face and over the eyes, they are not a pair of glasses. The current alpha design looks more like a set of headphones and can be worn as such, but when the visual portion is needed, the head band can be lowered and adjusted over the eyes, functioning much like a small pair of binoculars.

While the Avegant Glyph is not exactly focused on gaming, it definitely has potential to become gaming compatible. The Kickstarter version of the headset will come with an HDMI/MHL cable and battery pack. Avegant is primed to create unique technology for game developers to manipulate, but that’s a goal set for the future. The main focus for the moment is video and entertainment, although the newest prototype is still HDMI-game compatible. The user can connect via cable to iPhone or Android devices to play games. The headset is also equipped with bluetooth technology. With its retinal projection technology, shining a 720p video image directly in front of the eyes, the Glyph headset allows the user to get an 80-inch TV experience wherever they happen to be, including on a long plane ride.

The designs are set to get smaller and more practical as time goes on. As is often the case with wearable devices, sleek practical designs reign supreme. Getting feedback from users after ordering on Kickstarter is a big factor in the final design for the Avegant Glyph and will certainly serve to improve this exciting and versatile new technology.