Augmented reality (AR) glasses need to be slim for people to actually want to wear them. To make this happen, a powerful chip that won't require a large battery is necessary.
Qualcomm have what an AR reality glasses need and the company just recently unveiled it. The Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1 platform seems to be built with slim AR glasses in mind, according to Engadget.
Qualcomm Unveiled New AR platform During Snapdragon Summit
During the Snapdragon Summit, Qualcomm introduced a new AR platform for next-gen AR smart glasses alongside its latest flagship SoC for smartphones, as per XDA.
As part of Qualcomm's extended reality (XR) portfolio, the new Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1 brings a number of improvements over Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 from 2019.
However, it differs from the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 and the recently released XR2 Plus Gen 1, because the new platform is specially designed to power AR experiences.
According to Qualcomm, the new Snapdragon Gen 1 is built on a multi-chip distributed processing architecture together with customized IP blocks.
It means that not all of the components are placed on one large board. Instead, the AR processor can be inside one stem, while the AR coprocessor can be put in the bridge. Meanwhile, the connectivity can be placed on the other stem, as per 9to5Google.
It reportedly delivers 2.3 times better AI performance than the company's Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 while using 50 percent less power. It makes the latest AR2 Gen 1 ideal for AR glasses that uses less than 1W power.
With the new Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1, you could have an eyewear that intelligently detects objects in the room. Likewise, you'll have something slim and light enough to use for hours at a time.
Read Also: Qualcomm's New Snapdragon 450 Chipset Can Make Budget Smartphones Faster And Longer
Qualcomm Makes First Purpose-Built AR chip for Slim Glasses
According to Qualcomm, they have to spread the computing load across the glasses' frame to achieve the slim design.
For features like visual analytics, the company included a CPU, Tensor AI processing, graphics and engines for the primary 4nm-based AR processor. The processor can support up to nine concurrent cameras for tracking the user's body and environment.
For tasks like eye tracking and computer vision, a co-processor that includes an AI accelerator was put elsewhere in the glasses.
A third chip that handles connectivity to networks and phones was also added to the glasses. Aside from better-balancing the weight, it also leads to smaller circuit boards and fewer wires.
According to Qualcomm, another important aspect is the networking. Similar to Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in phones, AR2 Gen 1 is among the first platforms to support WiFi 7.
The WiFi 7 support is important not only when it comes to bandwidth for connecting to a handset but as well as to reduce latency.
Together with the lag reduction in the processor and co-processor, using the glasses should give you a more natural-feeling and responsive experience.
Companies such as Lenovo, LG, Niantic, OPPO, Nreal, Pico, Rokid, Sharp, QONOQ, TCL, Tencent, Vuzix, and Xiaomi are in "various stages of development" in adopting the Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1.
Related Article: Qualcomm Teases Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus Release on May 20 Launch Event
