Epson launches augmented reality Moverio BT-300 smart glasses in Australia

Epson Australia has released the third generation of its augmented reality Moverio BT-300 smart glasses.

The Moverio BT-300 has Epson's own silicon-based OLED digital display technology. Available in Australia for $1199, Epson claims the smartglasses are the "lightest binocular see-through smart glasses announced to date".

The glasses are powered by quad core Intel Atom X5 processor and Android 5.1, has a 5-megapixel front-facing camera and several onboard sensors.

Epson Australia consumer division general manager of sales and marketing Bruce Bealby said: "The transition from LCD backlit projection to Si-OLED enables higher contrast levels, a wider colour gamut and true display transparency which makes it game-changing technology."

According to Bealby, the Moverio BT-300 are the first smart glasses to have made it into the mainstream with their variety of applications in the consumer, government and commercial markets.

Epson said that its global AR ecosystem of partners and solutions, built over the past five years, have contributed to the adoption of the smartglasses in the market.

Epson smart glasses are used around the world for several different purposes, including urban planning, real estate, agriculture management and museum tours.

They are also used by the Grand Prix world champion Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team and by Manchester United Football Club coaches, who use the devices to analyse players.

"By using Si-OLED we take advantage of reductions in power usage and weight, and improvements in response times, HD resolution, brightness and contrast. By choosing silicon rather than glass for our base wafer we achieve an even more precise pixel display," Bealby said.

Moverio are the only smart glasses legally allowed to be used when flying drones in Australia, according to the vendor.

"They offer pilots crystal clear, transparent first person views from the drone camera while simultaneously maintaining their line of sight with their aircraft. This makes flying and filming safer and helps users stay in compliance with local and national aviation regulations," Epson said.