Keynotes:
- Magic Leap pack an impressive assortment of components that makes it a powerful building block
- The limitations of what you can do are mostly controlled by how far your imagination can reach.
- At the moment Magic Leap is more geared towards the enterprise space. So it might be time to see what it can do for your business.
When it comes to Augmented Reality headsets, one of the first devices to come to mind is the Magic Leap. Not just for its cool sounding name but because of the promise it holds and what, we were told, we would be able to do with it.
So now it’s here and the question becomes – does it live up to the hype? Well, the short answer is “Kinda”, it’s a great device, and we expect great things for it, but it’s not for everyone. Let’s break things down.
Technical Specs and Details:
CPU is an NVIDIA® Parker SOC; 2 Denver 2.0 64-bit cores + 4 ARM Cortex A57 64-bit cores (2 A57’s and 1 Denver accessible to applications) whereas the GPU is an NVIDIA Pascal™, 256 CUDA cores using Graphics APIs: OpenGL 4.5, Vulkan and OpenGL ES 3.3+ it packs 8 GB of RAM with a storage capacity of 128 GB (but actual available storage capacity 95GB).
For power, we have a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery with up to 3 hours continuous use but battery life can vary based on use cases. Power level will be sustained when connected to an AC outlet by using its accompanying 45-watt USB-C Power Delivery (PD) charger.
On the connectivity side of things we have Bluetooth 4.2, WiFi 802.11ac/b/g/n and USB-C. The audio input is via Voice (speech to text) + real-world audio (ambient) and audio output is an onboard speaker and 3.5mm jack with audio spatialization processing.
For our controllers, we have haptics using the LRA Haptic Device, 6DoF for tracking (position and orientation) with Trackpad for Touch-sensitive, a 12-LED (RGB) ring with a diffuser. The controllers also have a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Up to 7.5 hours of continuous use. 15-watt USB-C charger and 8-bit resolution. A Trigger Button; Digital Bumper Button and Digital Home Button.
So what Can it do?
As impressive as a spec sheet is, the value of such a device is on what it can do.
We could say that your imagination is the limit but there are some further limitations in terms of the hardware and the technology. What you can do however is to extract the maximum potential from the device with various applications.
You could use the Magic Leap to augment your website navigation. Or as an assistant in certain professions such as architecture. A common example of this would be a situation that allows you to see where pipes would be placed in the new building. Also, for real estate agencies, even an empty room, the headset could be used to visualize the placement of furniture to see how a certain design style might fit.
But like any other technology, there are some conditions that should be fulfilled for optimal results.
For example, you shouldn’t be in a place too bright because then you won’t be able to see anything. Depending on your idea, you will be limited by your environment. Working outdoors is not recommended as it is a very large space, instead, you will have better results in a closed area, like an office, or living room.
A core advantage of mixed reality hardware like Magic Leap is that it allows designers to create content that is centered in reality and not just a scaled virtual space. If an engineer wanted to see how well a machine part is designed to fit, they could use MR to overlay that part onto the actual machine rather than a virtual model of it.
Why should your business use Magic Leap?
At this point you are thinking that Magic leap is some very cool tech but why should your business use it? The simple answer is because its ahead of the game when it comes to AR integration into the workspace.
We are not just talking about enhancing content for your customers, even though that is also a valid point, instead, we are talking about things like assisted guides, operational overview, remote management, and conceptual design and deployments. Nothing beats being able to walk into a given space and design it as you deem fit before you have to actually do anything.
Or see through the eyes of your client and assist them as needed. Others have even used the technology to help on the assembly floor in the production process, For architects or builders, for example, a dynamic, 3D blueprint can improve planning and design when discussing a project with a client.
Magic Leap is a tool but unlike other tools, you get to adapt it to your needs and customize it to your business model. Take for example a platform that combines data management, cloud computing, visualization, and data pre-processing software with Magic Leap’s spatial computing to support management, visualization, augmentation, and navigation of diagnostic imaging data for a broad range of clinical procedures
Magic Leap is an enterprise tool so be it training (As opposed to having new hires spend weeks reading dense manuals and detailed safety protocols, AR is allowing manufacturers to create highly technical, on-the-job experiences that new hires can utilize to train), product development or sales, it’s here to stay and it might be a good idea to have a look at what it can do for you.
