Eyewear tech may be convenient and look snazzy, but we can’t help but feel like these wearables aren’t supposed to make you it look natural on those who are wearing them. There are of course exceptions, but the limitations of using a specific eyewear for these devices don’t really make it more appealing to those who already wear one.
Thankfully, Sony (TYO: 6758) has a new concept that might just solve this very fundamental problem. The company had recently unveiled the Single-Lens Display Module concept, which is basically a device that can be attached or equipped to any existing eyewear, effectively turning it into eyewear tech. The technology introduced by the concept is quite similar to what other wearables have today, and functionally it even bears a slight resemblance to Sony’s previously developed EyeGlass wearable concept. However, the critical difference is that it uses an OLED microdisplay to project an image onto any glass, instead of displaying it to an already fixed eyewear build.
As for its specs, there are no technical announcements just yet, but Sony claims that its 0.23-inch OLED screen can produce an image with a resolution of about 640×400 pixels. From the way Sony introduces it, the device may function more of a digital augmentation device for providing environmental information. It can, for example, provide standard wearable tech functions like visual health tracking, or provide analysis of your surroundings when doing certain activities. The central control board shown in the sample images will have its processor, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth receivers, as well is its sensor hub.
Of course, as it is still a concept, additional features, technical specifications, as well as its final design may still be in the works. However with Sony officially announcing its demonstration at the upcoming CES 2015, we might not have to wait long to see what it really does, and how it would differentiate itself from all other wearable tech that already preceded it.
