Anonymous sources have leaked photos of Magic Leap, a $4.5 billion project funded by Google that aims to become a major augmented reality upgrade for humans, adding digital images to regular vision.
The public has criticized the photo, mainly due to the gadget’s cumbersome look, although CEO Rony Abovitz claims that it is only a “test rig.” The image shows a young male with a backpack and several straps, which differ significantly from Google’s deceased project Google Glasses.
After seven years of development, we still don’t know much about Magic Leap
Magic Leap’s investors include Google, Alibaba, Legendary Entertainment, and more. The idea is that Magic Leap should superimpose 3D graphics onto the real world, although there is uncertainty about whether the device would be comfortable for use, which in turn determines if it can be commercial or not. The startup has raised over $1 billion in venture capital, hitting the $4.5 billion mark in company value. The organization is also funded by great investing firms such as JPMorgan and Kleiner Perkins.
After defending his project on Twitter and clarifying that Magic Leap is in no ways what was shown in the picture, Abovitz assured that followers would not be let down. It is worth to know that the leaked picture is the only visual information that exists on Magic Leap that’s outside the confines of the company.
The photo was leaked to Business Insider, and the anonymous source indicated that it was “the real wearable,” codenamed “PEQo.” Apparently, the photo was taken in January, but the source also revealed that the prototype had undergone significant upgrades since then.
The source also revealed that the board of investors would see a demo of the “PEQ” prototype directed by Abovitz sometime next week. Apparently, it will employ a version of the device seen in the photo that employs belts instead of backpacks.
The board meeting is expected to be a landmark in how the product is evolving, which will most assuredly show that the device is fully portable because such ability is now perceived as a game-changing component of any AR device.
Although a private demonstration is bound to take place, Business Insider claims that the gadget is a long way from becoming available for sale, seeing that they point out a battery pack being held by the person’s left hand.
The company was founded back in 2010, and as of today, they have not released a single product to the market. Up until 2014, the company was working on computer vision without being in the investing spotlight.
Apparently, their goal is to build “a Google Glass on steroids that can seamlessly blend computer-generated graphics with the real world.” The only other content released by the company is a video released in 2015, although it appears to be a metaphorical representation of what Magic Leap will be able to do.
Source: Business Insider