After raising over US$2.5 million on Kickstarter last year for a personal holographic display called Portrait, and recently commencing shipping to backers, the Looking Glass Factory has now announced the launch of the second generation of its 4K UHD and 8K models.
"Our goal with this new generation of holographic interfaces was to create systems that were more accessible to anyone interested in communicating ideas with lifelike realism," said company CEO, Shawn Frayne. "From Looking Glass Portrait to our Looking Glass 8K Gen2 interface, we are offering a lineup that meets the needs of individuals and enterprises alike."
The company's original 4K workstation, the Looking Glass Pro, launched in 2019 and rocked a lightfield display to the front with a 15.6-inch touchscreen on top. The input resolution was reported to be 3,840 x 2,160 pixels, and there was a smaller fold-out secondary screen included in the package, along with a Leap Motion controller.
Though the resolution of the main display remains the same for the second generation, the fold-out screen has gone and there's no mention of a Leap controller, the optics have been improved in order to decrease ambient reflections, the hardware is now thinner and lighter, and the system can operate as a standalone unit – like the Portrait – for more portable use options.
Toward the end of 2019, the Looking Glass Factory revealed a 32-inch version of its 3D visualization system that was developed for retail, medical imaging and entertainment applications, and came with 7,680 x 4,320 resolution and a holographic depth measured in feet rather than inches.
Now "the largest available holographic interface on the market" also enters its second generation, and benefits from the same blockless hardware design as the other two members of the family. It has dimensions of 28.9 x 16.9 x 3.5 in (733.5 x 428 x 88.5 mm) and tips the scales at 51.8 lb (23.5 kg) – or 63 lb with a base plate. Professional users can look forward to 8K visuals with a 60-Hz refresh rate, a 50-degree field of view, and a viewing distance of between 2-30 ft (0.6-9 m).
The hardware of all models has been standardized to run the company's HoloPlay Studio software, which enables viewing, editing and syncing of holographic media. And the software application has itself been updated to include new upgrades to Unity, Unreal and Blender plugins.
The order books for the Looking Glass Portrait device are open now, and it's priced so everyday users can get in on the holographic fun, at $299.
The Gen2 4K display comes in at $3,000 – around half the price of the original – and is geared more toward business use. And though our coverage of the first-gen 8K model came with a "price available on request" advisory, the second generation is reported to be a good deal cheaper. This one carries a $17,500 price tag, but can be had for $15k for a limited time.
The video below has more.
Source: Looking Glass Factory
