Qualcomm Launches its First AR Reference Design
Qualcomm Technologies has released its first augmented reality (AR) reference design based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1 Platform, equipped to deliver high-performance, immersive experiences, and lower power consumption.
The reference design is an AR smart viewer with the versatility to tether to a compatible smartphone, Windows PC, or processing puck and is optimized for devices powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon Platforms.
To help drive ecosystem expansion for AR smart viewers, Microsoft shared: “The AR smart viewer category is a great vehicle to deliver immersive experiences as accessories to mobile devices, Windows PCs or other host-compute devices. We look forward to working with Qualcomm Technologies to bring Azure MR services towards this ever-expanding ecosystem of Snapdragon-based Mixed-Reality end-points.”
Longstanding viewer partner, Nreal, also shared: “With the global deployment and success of our Nreal Light device, we are committed to delivering more content and innovative user experiences in the future,” said Chi Xu, founder and CEO, Nreal. “Split-processing between a glass and smartphone or host device unlocks a new type of immersion and we look forward to working with Qualcomm Technologies to drive that roadmap.”
“The Snapdragon XR1 AR smart viewer marks a new chapter for our reference design portfolio and a big step in the evolution of AR viewers,” said Hugo Swart, vice president and general manager of XR, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “AR simple viewers showcased viewers as an accessory to a smartphone. Now, AR smart viewers allow us to move some processing to the glass, to expand the possibilities of use cases, applications and immersion – this reference design is the first step in our roadmap to help scale the AR industry.”
The AR smart viewer has processing in the reference design to help distribute computing workloads between the viewer and the host device, compared to an AR simple viewer which does not have any processing on the viewer.
Developed in parallel with the AR smart viewer reference design, Lenovo recently unveiled the ThinkReality A3 powered by the Snapdragon XR1 Platform.
As an advanced and versatile enterprise smart glasses that will come to market starting mid-2021, the ThinkReality A3 provides virtual monitors and 3D visualization to AR-assisted workflows and immersive training to transform work across many levels of the enterprise.
