[Youtube Live] Lynx Update - January 26th 2023
After receiving the first batch from the factory Lynx went to the CES and the MIT Reality Hack hackathon. Stan shared the feedback and updates in the latest Youtube Live yesterday. You can find the recap below :
CES and MIT RH feedback
We have received the first units from the factory and they are even better than what we expected !
We brought some of the units to the CES, where we shared the booth with Ultraleap. We made more than a thousand demos which was a great field test for the hardware to make sure that the headset fits a great variety of head sizes and shapes and that the headstand would withstand intensive use. Just after that, we went to the MIT Reality Hack which is an AR focused hackathon hosted by the MIT. It was the perfect occasion to do a software field test. We had 6 headsets, which we gave to developers for the duration of the event, with our SDK to get feedback and it was all very positive.
Based on the feedbacks from those events and from the team, we're making around 50 mechanical changes to improve the quality of the R1. One of these is critical, it affects the headband mechanism that can break if too much tension is applied. That is why we limit the shipping of the headset to close partners at the moment. In parallel we're working on a quick fix for these units so that we can ship to more users in 2-4 weeks.
The image quality of the DVT1 is very good, you can refer to the CES Brad Lynch video, where he comments on it. It's way better than Fresnel lenses and has 4 times the light output compared to pancake lenses. The foams are comfortable and the battery can last between 2.5 hours (AR) to 3.5 hours (VR).
Hardware and software updates
We will release the controllers this year, as well as other accessories.
One of the most wanted feature is access to the camera feeds, it was not ready for the MIT Reality Hack (by the way a team using a Lynx has won in one of the categories), and we are working on an Android service for that.
Accessories
We're going to open source an accessory to attach various things on the headset (sensors, cameras, etc..). We will also release this year an eye tracking accessory that will connect to the headset's USB-C port.
We're sorry for all the delays and we can't thank you enough for all your patience and support.
Q&A
Is Limbak the designer of the lens ? Any concern after their acquisition by Apple ?
Limbak was acquired and we are glad for them, they are extremely good and talented. Before the acquisition we signed a licencing contract so that even if they were to be bought we would keep the licence.
Any comments on MRTK ?
The whole team was disbanded, it is very sad as it also affects most of the Hololens team. MRTK was a very useful project.
When will the backers receive their headset ?
We are aiming to deliver the headsets before May (as well as early pre-orders)
Can Japanese backers get R1 is approved by Japanese technical standard compliance ?
Yes, we'll have certifications for Europe, UK, USA, India, Korea and Japan. More countries will come.
Is there an update on the travel case ?
There wasn't many orders for the travel case so we've delayed it to focus on the other features. If we cancel it, it will be reimbursed.