Recon Instruments has shown off its new Recon Jet HUD (Heads Up Display) sunglasses, designed for sports fanatics – or anyone looking to shed a few kilos.
Having already designed and manufactured goggles with HUD and tracking, the company was completely comfortable with the idea of building Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ANT+ and an HD camera into a pair of sunnies and powering them with a dual-core processor with a dedicated graphics processing unit (GPU).
The HUD display of these glasses sits in the lower right hand corner of the wearer’s field of vision making it safe to use when running, or riding a bike or scooter. According to reports, once adjusted to the wearer’s head and eyes, the display is easy to read in bright and low light situations. The unit is controlled by tapping and swiping the optical sensor on the side of the headset, and there’s the possibility of a wrist-mounted controller coming too.
So what’s it for? According to Recon, Jet sunnies let you check stats that include speed, air time, location, incoming text messages, maps and Facebook. Photos, video, and audio can be shared both from the glasses and to the glasses.
At 60 grams, Jet sunglasses are bulkier than the average pair of sports sunglasses and heavier than Google Glass. However with the battery on the left side and all the electronics and display on the right, we’re told they feel comfortable to wear and well balanced.
In recognition of the dangers of an active lifestyle, replacement Jet frames will be available should the originals suffer damage. The lenses, battery and electronics can all be removed from the original frame and snapped back into place, ready to go again.
Compared to the AUD$1,500 price tag that comes with Google Glass, these will be a steal at around AUD$400 when they’re launched later this year.