Recon Instruments has been making near to eye displays for quite some time and while the first version was developed for snow sports, the second version, the Recon Jet, was aimed at other sports like bicycling. The Jet device was announced quite some time ago, however it is only now that Recon Instruments has started shipping the headset to its customers.
Source: Recon Instruments
The headset is an extension of the original Recon headset and has a very similar form factor. However, the Recon Jet is not concealed in a helmet but seems to be attached to a normal set of sports glasses. The whole frame is part of the Recon Jet eyewear, giving them not only the look of sports sunglasses but also of safety glasses.
In addition to the sports market, Recon Instruments has meanwhile announced a partnership with SAP to integrate the Recon Jet with augmented reality apps from SAP. This integration will allow Recon Instruments to address commercial and industrial markets.
Analyst Comment
Recon Instruments has been a very successful start up by addressing a very distinct market that is typically not high on the list of electronic devices. However, its success also puts Recon Instruments into a corner that leaves little room for expansion. After Intel Capital invested in Recon Instruments, speculation on using the technology in a wider context increased.
The announcement that SAP is to work with Recon Instruments does make it look as though such an expansion into industrial markets is already happening. It also follows the trends of other AR companies in addressing industrial markets first. Companies have been looking at industries like manufacturing, field service and oil & gas, where augmented reality allows them to communicate clearly and access critical data at a glance, without interruption from the task at hand. This use case is one that many others also see as the greatest strength of augmented reality systems at the moment. – NH
