Sebastian Beetschen, a former Microsoft HoloLens engineer, has launched an augmented reality (AR) headset that stands in stark contrast to Apple's upcoming Vision Pro. The headset, Almer Arc 2, is the latest product from augmented reality startup Almer, co-founded by Beetschen and former fighter pilot Timon Binder in 2021.
Weighing just 138 grams, the Almer Arc 2 is four times lighter than Apple's Vision Pro, which will be good news considering that many of the people who have tried this latest headset so far have complained about its His weight.
The Arc 2 features a 25MP camera, beamforming microphones, built-in speakers, and a transparent holographic display, and offers a battery life of 8 hours. Its transparent screen can be used in dynamic environments, unlike the Vision Pro, which is designed for static indoor environments.
TeamViewer Remote Support
Almer's announcement coincides with a strategic partnership with TeamViewer, a global leader in remote IT support and sponsor of Manchester United. This partnership aims to tap into the industrial market, allowing TeamViewer to provide remote support through the Arc 2 headsets.
Percy Stocker, senior vice president of AR product management at TeamViewer, commented: “We see wide-scale adoption of the product and immediately across the industry. Remote support via smartphones or tablets has limitations when workers have their hands full, “The information is not in their direct line of sight, and the camera does not follow the worker's view. As such, the shift to AR presents TeamViewer with an opportunity to support this underserved market.”
Almer Arc headsets enable remote collaboration as if the parties were physically present. Augment the user's environment with relevant information to point out objects in reality.
Sebastian Beetschen compared the Almer Arc to the visor of a fighter jet and said: “The Almer Arc is a lightweight, compact and easy-to-use AR device. When a problem arises, the frontline worker takes the Almer Arc and puts on in contact with a remote expert. , who can see and hear what the worker experiences. The expert identifies the problem, highlights objects, and displays documentation in the worker's view, simulating an in-person collaborative experience.”
The global AR market is projected to grow from $62.75 billion in 2023 to $1.1 trillion in 2030, with a CAGR of 50.7%. Within this trend, the AR headset market is expected to reach $120 billion by 2026.
Beetschen concluded: “The cost saving potential of using augmented reality to service all machines installed for the top 10 machine tool manufacturers at DACH represents £7.9 billion per year, so the opportunity is very real.”
