Epson announced no new products at NAB, but was there to show off its projectors and AR headset, the BT-300, especially the new Drone Edition version. They made the point that this may be the most important AR application today – and Epson has a very strong position here. They have been selling the Moverio product for six years now!
The BT-300 drone edition sells for around $800 and features twin OLED displays embedded in the pair of glasses. It is not the most elegant looking AR headset, but they appear to be fairly rugged and functional.
One of the big drivers for the use of an AR headset for drone operation is the FAA ruling that requires operators to maintain line of sight visual contact with the drone. The see-thru headset allows one person to fly the drone and keep an eye on it at the same time.
Epson told us that they have now established a strategic partnership with DJI, the biggest drone supplier, to offer the BT-300 with its drones. The BT-300 is also preloaded with the DJI Go app to facilitate control of the DJI drone with the Moverio BT-300 drone edition glasses. The app can also overlay information in the glasses to assist the operator including no-fly zones and flight data. – CC
