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ODG Launches Heavy Duty Mixed Reality, VR AR Combo Glasses

Osterhaut Design Group, or ODG for short is expanding its lineup of combined AR/VR glasses targeting the heavy duty use in industrial markets. After a successful launch of R-7, the company is expanding the product family with R-7HL, short for Hazardous Location.

This headset comes with a complete eye protection, shielding its wearers from the most hazardous environments. “ODG built the R-7HL to answer the demands and needs of customers who operate in extreme environments,” said Ralph Osterhout, ODG CEO. “R-7HL brings a durable, hands-free, wearable computing platform to professionals in oil exploration and production, energy, mining, utilities, chemical production and pharmaceuticals and enables heads-up, hands-free checklists, guided assistance tools and manuals, remote assistance support, and the delivery of real time notifications and alerts. It keeps users safer and helps them be more efficient and will further help to change the way work is done.”

In order to achieve the desired levels of protection, this Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 powered headset comes with “goggle-like eye housing”, carrying MIL-STD-810G certification (Military-grade) for drop, shock, vibration, low pressure and temperature extremes (military-40 to +75C i.e. -40F to +167F). More about the test procedure can be learned here – MIL-STD-810G certification description. This was followed by an ANSI Z87.1 dust-proof and splash-proof certification, ensuring that the wearer of R-7HL goggles has the same level of protection as the U.S. military, or workers in heavy duty environments.  As the manufacturer says, R-7HL is expected to be used in “potentially dangerous settings in oil exploration and production, utilities, chemical production, airport refueling, and pharmaceuticals.”

“As with the smartphone, the demand is there for robust and rugged devices that can aid productivity, but the benefit with smartglasses is that your hands are free and your head is up, bringing even greater efficiencies and safety protection,” said Mike Jude, Ph.D., Research Manager for Frost & Sullivan. “We have had the opportunity to review the ODG R-7 and were very impressed with its capabilities. The new R-7HL offers the R-7’s capabilities in a new hardened package perfect for extreme environments. ODG’s heritage in the space, and existing customer relationships, positions them well for continued success in bringing real value to the enterprise.”

R-7HL comes with a price of $3,500, and carries the same performance specifications as the R-7:

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 805, 2.7 GHz quad-core Processor
  • 3GB Pop LP-DDR3 RAM
  • 64GB SSD Storage
  • 1300mAH Lithium-Ion Battery Capacity
  • Dual 1280×720 Stereoscopic See-thru displays at up to 80fps
  • Magnetic USB Data and Power Cable
  • Dual Haptic Feedback in Temples
  • Bluetooth 4.1 (Basic Rate, EDR BLE)
  • WiFi Dual Band 802.11ac (a,b,g,n,ac)
  • GNSS Based Location (GPS/GLONASS)
  • Two Integrated Inertial Measuring Unit with 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, 3-axis magnetometer
  • Altitude Sensor
  • Humidity Sensor
  • Ambient Light Sensor
  • Autofocus Camera (1080p @ 60fps, 720p @ 120fps)
  • 2 Digital Microphones (User & Environment)
  • Magnetic charging port with USB on-the-go
  • Magnetic stereo audio ports with ear buds
  • ReticleOS, an see-thru optimized Android framework for head-worn computing atop Android Kit Kat
  • Compatible with numerous SDKs