North Focals are AR glasses that have been designed to look like a common pair of eye glasses. The Focal glasses are primarily intended to present notifications and/or app imagery in the user’s line of sight that derive from a linked smartphone. In a sense, Focals can be thought of as a “glasses equivalent of an Apple watch.”
Focals were created by North Focals (Waterloo, Canada). In a previous incarnation, North Focals was called Thalmic Labs. The company is very well funded having been backed by Intel Capital, Spark Capital and the Amazon Alexa Fund to the tune of about $200 million. In addition, during the fall of 2018, North Focal attracted a $24 million grant from the Government of Canada. The company’s growing intellectual property portfolio includes patents acquired from Intel.
The glasses are controlled and menus are navigated by way of a ring-type device worn on the index finger of the user’s dominant hand. Called Loop, the ring contains a small, four directional joystick. A press of the button on the Loop wakes up the Focals. The glasses then quickly pair with the user’s Android or iOS smartphone through Bluetooth.
A tiny embedded projector beams a full color image onto a film coated onto the right lens of the glasses. The transparent image has been focused to appear so as to float at about an arm’s length in front of the user.
The projected image can become difficult to see when the surrounding environment is bright. To address this issue, a pair of clip-on sunglasses is included with the purchase.
The Focal glasses come with non-prescription lenses but allow for the inclusion of prescription lenses as well. All of the lenses used in the Focals are curved and include anti-reflective, scratch resistant and water repellant coatings as well as UV protection.
One optical design consequence of curved lenses is that the eye box in the Focals is likely to be somewhat smaller than the eye box found in other AR glasses products. It follows that Focal glasses have to be positioned very accurately on the user’s face to properly see the image. The company addresses this need by custom fitting the glasses to each individual user’s face. This was originally accomplished by a process that used multiple cameras to 3D scan each user’s head. In addition, the cameras tracked the user’s eye movements to further insure that the user’s pupil properly aligned with the eye box.
Since Focals are not sold at large retailers, it had initially been necessary for the user to go to a store in either New York or Toronto to fit the glasses. Somewhat later, North announced it was bringing a Focals pop-up showroom on tour with 15 stops in the U.S. and Canada. Most recently, North released the so-called Showroom app which eliminates the need for an in-person appointment. This is done by using the technology included in the iPhone X or later and that is normally used for Face ID. North takes measurements made by the TrueDepth camera to produce customized Focal glasses which are typically shipped to the user within a few weeks.
The Showroom app also includes a virtual try-on feature that let the user preview their appearance wearing Focals of different colors. The app can also be used to upload a prescription. Once the Focals are delivered to the user, a final fitting is necessary. This process is guided by directions in the app. The user can also use the app to recalibrate their Focals should, at some point, it is felt desirable to do so.
The glasses and the ring come in a carrying case. The case plugs into a wall or USB port and serves as the means to charge the batteries in these devices. The charge on the glasses last for about a day of continuous use, the Loop ring somewhat longer.
The North Focal AR glasses and the Loop ring are illustrated in the figure below and demonstrated in the video appended at the end of this article.
The North Focal AR glasses and the Loop ring.
It is interesting to note that the glasses are built to bend halfway through the arms, as opposed to where the arms meet the frames.
A variety a Focal Glasses user reviews can readily be found on-line. Comments by the reviewers can be summarized as follows:
- The glasses look great and may well not be recognized by others as smartglasses.
- The glasses are comfortable – but may not be found sufficiently comfortable to wear all day. This is, in part, due to the extra weight on the front.
- The Loop ring can become uncomfortable, particularly when typing on a computer.
- The user will need to frequently change the focus of their eyes from close to far. After sustained use, this can become visually tiring.
- The floating image does not obscure the user’s vision.
- The projector area is slightly warm and can lead to “a tiny bit of sweat near the user’s temple.”
- The Loop joystick can be used to easily adjust or turn off the sound.
- The sound can be audible to people nearby, but only barely so at the lower levels.
- Voice controls were generally accurate, even in noisy environments.
The basic North Focals package sells for $600. At this time, North offers the glasses in three color patterns and two shape choices. Special shape and colors cost an additional $100. The option to get prescription lenses costs an extra $200. The company states that, minus a restocking fee, the Focals can be returned if they do not meet expectations. -Arthur Berman
