Magic Leap reveals new AR headset and fresh funding
Augmented reality (AR) firm Magic Leap has revealed the
second version of its headset, alongside $500m in new investment.
Unlike virtual reality (VR), the AR Magic Leap headsets
project digital 3D objects on top of the real world.
The new headset is intended primarily for business use and
has, the firm says, a wider field of view.
Magic Leap has faced criticism for the time it has taken to
develop working prototypes and products.
This week's $2bn valuation and $500m of fresh investment is
almost exactly the same as a funding round in 2014 which also valued the
company at $2bn, as highlighted by tech news site TechCrunch.
The site notes the company has attracted in total $3.5bn in
funding since it was founded in 2010 - and wrote: "It seems investors are
still addicted to giving them money."
The company's first headset sales did not begin until 2018,
more than three years after the Florida firm released a teaser video of the
product.
The company faces competition from well-funded rivals
developing AR headsets of their own such as Nreal, Microsoft, Facebook and
Snapchat.
Business uses for AR could include workers who need access
to important information while keeping their hands free.
Examples highlighted by Magic Leap include:
surgery in which scans and other reference data is needed
while performing an operation
manufacturing, by sharing 3D models of items being worked on
or getting remote assistance from a technician
design, in which multiple users can view and discuss changes
to 3D objects at once
Showcasing the Magic Leap 2, chief executive Peggy Johnson -
who joined the company last year from Microsoft - said the headset would be the
industry's "smallest and lightest device built for enterprise
adoption".
It has, she claimed, the largest field of view in the
industry, and also features "dimming" - which darkens the background
environment, making the glasses easier to use outdoors and in bright settings.
Source BBC
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