The
Snapdragon AR2 is Qualcomm Technologies' first system-on-chip (SoC) solution
designed specifically for headworn AR devices. Its distributed processing
architecture enables the development of AR smart viewers that are powerful, yet
slim and energy-efficient. Combining the groundbreaking design of Snapdragon AR2
and Goertek's leading design and development capabilities coupled with its
cumulative experience and investment in the AR field, the new AR viewer
reference design is lighter and thinner, with a total weight of just under
100g. With lightning fast Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, the design can reduce the
latency between the AR glasses and the host device (smartphone) to less than 2
ms. It consumes less energy, and supports SLAM and environmental sensing, 6 DoF
(degrees of freedom) and will support the Snapdragon Spaces™ XR Developer
Platform. The compact and lightweight appearance, combined with its exceptional
performance, makes the reference design truly wearable for a variety of
applications including mobile office, teleconferencing, gaming and
entertainment, learning, and training. At this time, the reference design is
available as a companion device to Snapdragon 8-powered smartphones that are
Snapdragon Spaces ready, with additional platforms for mobile, PC and other
computing devices to be supported in the future.
This
reference design is a continuation of the Snapdragon XR2-based AR glasses
reference design that Goertek unveiled in June 2022. With a 12.8% reduction in
frame thickness and a 30% reduction in leg height, these engineering
improvements allow the design to be more resemblant of genuine spectacles. The
carbon fiber and magnesium-lithium alloy make the housing lighter while still
maintaining exceptional thermal performance. With the unique flexible hinge
design, the glasses will automatically return to the folded position once
removed from the head, while the temples can be bent into position to fit
different face sizes.
The reference
design makes use of a new generation of free-form modules for optics, which
improves visual acuity with a 38° display FOV and a wider viewing angle,
increasing the vertical field of view by 50%. To better accommodate the
requirements of various indoor and outdoor as well as daytime and nighttime
scenarios, the maximum brightness has been increased to 1500 nits. In a major
step up in terms of enhanced visual performance, the reference design also
features a handy magnetic removal and replacement lens feature that enables the
user to easily swap out lenses with various light transmission rates (using
high transmission rate lenses in bright light and low transmission rate lenses
in dim light) and supports lenses with various degrees of myopia adjustment.
The reference design will also be available in future versions with other
optical configurations. The reference design uses Goertek's proprietary
near-ear stereo acoustic solution, which strikes a balance between sound
quality and privacy while optimizing the noise reduction algorithm to improve
voice recognition and deliver an unmatched listening experience.
Said Bakadir,
Senior Director of XR Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., said
"Qualcomm Technologies has a longstanding collaboration with Goertek to
deliver premium headworn AR and VR devices powered by Snapdragon platforms to
help scale XR devices for partners around the world. We are excited about this
new light weight, Snapdragon AR2 reference design, which will help usher in a
new era of sleek glasses."
Marvin Chang,
Corporate Vice President, Goertek,Inc., says, "Goertek has worked closely
with Qualcomm Technologies in the field of XR since 2015, and the two companies
have partnered together for several generations of reference designs in both VR
headsets and AR glasses. This year's lightweight version will be our third
generation of AR glasses reference design in collaboration with Qualcomm
Technologies and the first Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1 platform-based AR glasses
reference design intended for mass production. We believe that this reference
design based on Qualcomm Technologies' most recent generation AR platform and
Goertek's strong design and system integration capabilities, can satisfy the
requirements of both businesses and consumers at various product levels and
market segments, helping brands shorten the time to market for their
high-performing lightweight AR smart viewers and allowing users a seamless and
thoroughly enjoyable experience."
Snapdragon
and Snapdragon Spaces are trademarks or registered trademarks of Qualcomm
Incorporated. Snapdragon and Snapdragon Spaces are products of Qualcomm Technologies,
Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.