At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Panasonic has unveiled the world’s first High Dynamic Range (HDR) capable ultra high definition (UHD) virtual reality (VR) eyeglasses which boasts a comfortable fit that makes users feel as if they were wearing eyeglasses.
With anticipation of the forthcoming full-fledged commercial services of the fifth-generation (5G) mobile communications system, a number of new services using VR glasses are expected to be offered, including for VR sports viewing and engaging virtual travel experiences. While conventional VR glasses with high-quality images and high sound quality provide users with highly immersive simulated experiences, these glasses tend to be big in size and require users to strap them to their head with a headband, which could cause wearer discomfort.
For the new VR glasses, Panasonic has developed a high-performance display device in cooperation with Kopin Corporation, which is a leading manufacturer of display devices for VR glasses. In addition, Panasonic’s audio and visual technologies have been incorporated into this new device, including signal processing technologies cultivated through the development of video equipment such as TVs and Blu-ray Disc players, acoustic technologies of Technics audio products, and optical technologies used in LUMIX digital cameras.
These technologies enabled Panasonic to achieve a compact and lightweight VR glasses offering high-quality images and optimal sound that deliver realistic sensations drawing the user into the images projected before their eyes, while in the comfort of wearing eyeglasses.
The product remains as a developed prototype at the moment through with no clear indication if the company will eventually sell these glasses to consumers.