Qualcomm further ups the momentum of its XR headset developer ecosystem
Date: 06/06/2023
With Apple launching its new AR VR headset Vision Pro, speed of development of software, headset specific apps, creation of 3D graphics and video content in many such XR headset-hardware leveraging applications to grow exponentially. Qualcomm has announced an accelerated XR developer ecosystem leveraging its snapdragon spaces. Once the hardware platform is ready, it opens multiple opportunities for developing wearable glass specific apps. There's going to be huge demand from grapraphic content and video content for XR headsets.
To do all such developments you need a XR headset hardware development kit. Snapdragon Spaces enables that by making available Lenovo Think Reality A3 and Motorola edge and a smartphone kit and get hands-on with augmented reality.
What you get in this kit is:
ThinkReality A3: The ThinkReality A3 is a commercial enterprise-focused head-mounted display that fits a user’s head like sunglasses. With an integrated Snapdragon® XR1 chip, the A3 provides the immersive content capability. The feature set helps developers build the next generation of augmented reality applications using the Snapdragon Spaces developer platform.
Key Features:
Snapdragon XR-1 SmartView
Lightweight AR Glasses – <130g
Binocular 1080p resolution displays
8MP RGB Camera
Dual fish-eye cameras for 6DOF tracking
Integrated speakers and microphones (3)
USB Type C, USB 3.1
DisplayPort v1.4 compliant
Lenovo integrated solution support
In the Box:
ThinkReality A3 Smart Glasses
Motorola edge + Smartphone
USB-C Cable
Ergonomic Fit Kit included
Prescription insert sample to take to your local provider
Carrying case
More details at: https://spaces.qualcomm.com/developer-kit/
Snapdragon Spaces help developers to develop headworn AR experiences to existing smartphone applications. It has a program called Pathfinder with more than 80 members, three new Metaverse Fund venture investments and an inaugural group of 10 companies joining the Niantic Lightship and Snapdragon Spaces developer initiative.
Snapdragon Spaces is supported by state-of-the-art OPPO MR Glasses and all-in-one AR devices from DigiLens and TCL RayNeo. Lenovo ThinkReality VRX, an all-in-one VR headset for enterprise dictations, announced worldwide available in the first week of June 2023.
Qualcomm said it has launched new features for Snapdragon Spaces XR Developer Platform and strong momentum towards building a cross-device, extended reality (XR) ecosystem to create a headworn future that is truly open.
The latest Snapdragon Spaces SDK release has a new feature called Dual Render Fusion. This feature enables developers to easily extend their 2D mobile applications into world-scale 3D experiences, without any prior XR experience required. Dual Render Fusion is designed to deliver smartphone AR’s full potential, making it accessible to a wider range of developers than ever before, says Qualcomm.
The other points shared by Qualcomm on latest push to accelerate development of XR wearables include:
With thousands of developers, and brands like Red Bull and Kittch embracing the Snapdragon Spaces platform, the community has been a critical building block in enhancing the platform’s features, helping to break through the limits of reality. The most innovative companies in XR are building with Snapdragon Spaces across enterprise and consumer virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR) and AR in a variety of application categories including:
Enterprise collaboration: Arthur Digital, Arvizio, ENGAGE, Scope AR, Sphere, Taqtile
Productivity: Glue Collaboration, MSM.digital, Nomtek, ShapesXR, vSpatial
Gaming and entertainment: AmazeVR, DB Creations, Mirrorscape, Resolution Games, Skonec Entertainment, Survios, Vertical Robot, Wave
Health, wellness, and fitness: eXRciser, FitXR, Litesport, TRIPP, XRHealth
Training: Pixo, Roundtable Learning, Strivr, Talespin, Transfr, Uptale
Education: AjnaVidya, Phibonacci, Prisms, VictoryXR
WebXR: Igalia, Pluto VR, Wonderland
Others: ArborXR, BadVR, Designium, Echo3D, Lamina1
Niantic Collaboration: Building on Qualcomm Technologies’ relationship with Niantic, a group of 10 vanguard AR developers will have early access to Lightship VPS with Snapdragon Spaces beginning in the second half of 2023, creating headworn experiences for indoor and outdoor AR that leverage both platforms’ strengths. The select group of developers includes Artifice, DB Creations, Foundry Six, Hot Dark Matter, Immuse, Kinfolk, Lifecache, Loak, Sugar Creative and Trigger. These developers will receive early access to new features, influence product roadmaps and help to define next-generation AR experiences.
Metaverse Fund: As part of the Snapdragon Metaverse Fund, Qualcomm Ventures has made investments in Survios, a VR game developer and software publisher, EnlightXR, a China-based XR ecosystem enabler and Tangle, a developer of a virtual workspace for remote teams, in addition to the previously announced investments in TRIPP and Echo3D. The Snapdragon Metaverse Fund continues to enable and foster innovation through venture investment in leading XR companies by Qualcomm Ventures and developer ecosystem grants for content projects by Qualcomm Technologies.
Snapdragon Spaces Ready Devices
Expanding the portfolio of XR devices that will enable developers to bring headworn ideas to life, OPPO, TCL RayNeo and DigiLens have announced new devices that will support Snapdragon Spaces. These devices join a handful of Snapdragon Spaces Ready devices including the Lenovo ThinkReality VRX, an all-in-one VR headset engineered for the enterprise, which just announced worldwide availability.
The OPPO MR Glass Developer Edition features binocular video pass through technologies and is equipped with two RGB cameras in front of the user’s eyes, to provide a stereoscopic view of the physical world. The OPPO MR Glass Developer Edition will be made available as a Snapdragon Spaces developer kit, distributed through EnlightXR in second half of 2023.
TCL RayNeo is developing a wide range of cutting-edge AR features, with future support for Snapdragon Spaces, to create a world-class AR ecosystem for consumers worldwide. TCL RayNeo X2 true AR glasses, previously unveiled at CES 2023, are expected to commercially launch in Q2 2023.
DigiLens is set to launch an all-on-one Snapdragon Spaces Ready AR device, ARGO, designed for enterprise and industrial-lite workers.
Snapdragon Spaces continues to expand and create an open ecosystem that enables developers to pioneer innovative experiences for the next generation of immersive technology. For developers who want to help build this new era of spatial computing, visit:
https://spaces.qualcomm.com/
News source: Qualcomm
