The start-up Aryzon released the “cardboard for augmented reality” for a price of $30 on Kickstarter. By making clever use of a set of lenses, cardboard and a smartphone camera, the headset is able to place virtual content projected from the user’s smartphone screen within their own environment, this creates realistic augmented reality (AR).
The headset is designed to be as cost effective as possible. Aryzon aims to introduce more people to augmented reality and boost its widespread use in everyday settings. The Aryzon is the only headset of its kind that offers this many possibilities at such a low cost.
For most people, the current 3000 dollar Microsoft Hololens is not an affordable option. Aryzon is simply diversifying the market by offering a $30 option that works with every smartphone (IOs & Android). The augmented reality headset is shipped as a DIY kit, meaning that it fits right through your letterbox.
Applications
The headset allows users to display any digital content and their environment to life, meaning a puppy can play on your desk or card games can come to life. More practical uses can be imagined such as decorating your home in AR or visualizing new products from online shops. Even a physiotherapist can use the Aryzon, to explain to a patient why their knee hurts. The possibilities are literally endless.
The headset is fully accessible to developers of current 2D augmented reality apps for smartphones; their applications can easily be adapted for Aryzon. Examples range from the Ikea augmented reality app that allows users to preview furniture placed in their room, or the Nike ID platform, which could be adapted to allow users to customize their kicks in augmented reality.
Aryzon will provide a dedicated platform for the visualization of digital content that users can access in order to serve a wide range of users. Aryzon hopes to create a community who are passionate about AR development, allowing the platform to be optimized and improved with the objective of becoming the go-to platform for augmented reality content creation and sharing.
Technology
In order for the augmented reality experience to feel real the projections have to come into view at realistic distances meaning the right algorithms are needed. Aryzon’s software allows for interactions with the models: users can scale, rotate and navigate in augmented reality.
