As VR and AR have given birth to XR, it is important to have tools that integrate the two technologies. The Paris-based Lynx Mixed Reality team designed a new HMD from the ground up with the idea to properly merge VR and AR.
Light, compact, and balanced
The Lynx-R headset, set for delivery in June 2022, meets the requirements of XR applications. It merges camera and virtual inputs into the wide-angle display for AR image quality that easily beats AR headset image quality.
The sides are open and the front of the headset flips up and down. This keeps you grounded in the real world for AR applications. There is no loss of orientation and it avoids VR sickness.
The front of the headset moves outward from the face. This accommodates glasses and is easy to adjust.
The HMD allows for side covers to facilitate total immersion in VR. The headset slips on easily and the weight is well balanced. That makes the Lynx R-1 comfortable to wear for longer sessions.
The Lynx R-1 is shown on the left. On the right is a unit with a clear housing to display the compact integration of virtual and augmented reality technologies.
Because it is possible to switch instantly between a virtual reality mode and an augmented reality mode, application developers have the possibility to create mixed reality applications without existing limitations. The demonstration at Laval Virtual switched between VR and AR modes as the user moved in the booth.
The specs look good. The Lynx R-1 is untethered with a 3 hour battery life. It combines mobility with immersion. The optics have 1600x1600 resolution at 90 Hz. It integrates calibrated cameras, hand-tracking, gesture support, stereo speakers, a two-channel microphone, and connectivity via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB Type-C.
Pricing looks good, too. The standard edition retails for $599 and the enterprise edition sells for $1099. The hardware is the same. The enterprise edition includes developer support and licensing for redistribution.
The Lynx R-1 innovates in functionality, ergonomics, and application development. As a result, the Lynx R-1 expands the possibilities for, and supports the development of, completely new mixed reality applications.
