Smart AR binoculars for stargazing and outdoor exploration unveiled by Unistellar
While AR/VR headsets and AI smart glasses (like the XREAL Air 2 Pro, Meta Quest 3 or Brilliant Labs’ Frame) focus on enhancing gaming, productivity or just everyday tasks, augmented reality (AR) technology is also finding relevance in more niche applications. Unistellar, which has already made waves with its ‘smart’ digital telescopes, has recently announced the Envision smart AR binoculars. Envision uses AR to transform the experience of both terrestrial exploration/navigation and amateur astronomy.
Unistellar has so far not revealed details like optical magnification and objective lens diameter (which indicates light-gathering capability), or specifics of the AR technology inside, beyond mentioning its proprietary “Augmented Reality Precision Orientation Technology”. Using this, Envision “overlays real-time insights directly within your line of sight utilising high-contrast imagery and adjustable high luminance visuals.”
The binoculars pair with a companion app, and operate in three modes for different usage scenarios. Smart Scouting Mode is good for exploring, as it simply overlays relevant points of interest in the field of view. Guided navigation Mode takes it a step further by allowing you to select a nearby landmark or object from the app and then visually helping you zero in on it. With Target-Lock Mode, you can lock on to a point and then pass the binoculars to someone else who’ll be guided towards the same target.
The companion app also displays more detailed information on the landmarks, or can read it aloud with text-to-voice as you scan the landscape – or night sky. With Unistellar’s proven track record in making high-tech telescopes, the Envision is touted as being a stargazer’s dream tool. It will identify constellations, planets, notable stars as well as nebulae and star fields. One (likely rendered) product image even shows landmarks labelled on the lunar surface, though that would require fairly high magnification.
Highlighting celestial landmarks in the night sky is definitely cool. The bigger challenge, though, will be creating an AR overlay for ground-based landmarks which might be obscured by terrain, and linear ones like paths and streams. Notably, Swarovski Optik recently showcased a similar concept which, however, focusses on wildlife and bird identification through AI.
Unistellar will be launching the Envision shortly via a Kickstarter campaign (that you can sign up to be notified about), and will discount the price of the first 1000 orders down from $999 to $599.
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