Amazon wants augmented reality without the restrictive headsets

The augmented reality market is still in infancy, practically still in the womb, but the competition is already starting to heat up. Microsoft is the only major player at the moment, thanks to its HoloLens headset, which isn’t even available yet, but as usual, Amazon is looking to give the company a run for its money. According to a report from Forbes, Amazon is currently developing an augmented reality system that does away with the headset entirely, which is one of the biggest weaknesses of the HoloLens, in favor of a ceiling-mounted augmented reality device. This would grant users much more freedom of movement than a headset like the HoloLens. 

Microsoft’s HoloLens headset is one of the most amazing things we’ve seen all year, although the need to wear a large headset could be a detriment to that augmented reality attempt. Amazon has another solution, however. It appears that Amazon is designing an augmented reality system that uses a ceiling-mounted device to display images around your room via light beams. This comes via a couple of newly unearthed patent applications, as well as a report from Forbes based on conversations with an employee. Amazon’s Lab126 is reportedly working on the endeavour, with multiple solutions being tested. As the patent describes the approach seen above, it would be “a room equipped with computerized projection and imaging systems that enable presentation of images on various objects within the room to facilitate user interaction with the images and/or objects.” Meanwhile, the other patent shows how users could actually interact with the light beams, meaning you’ll do more than merely look at any screens, menus, characters, or items being shown. And the lack of a headset could free you up to move more naturally through your space. What we don’t get from the report or patent filings is any sense of when the tech could become available, or how much Amazon will charge for it. The company tends to undercut rivals on device pricing, but there’s a natural trade-off in quality that comes along with that. In any case, we’re very curious to see how this works out.