ThirdEye, the innovative XR company, has recently forged a new partnership with 3D Media. The partnership will help to train Air Force service crews with augmented reality.
Here, we’ll catch you up with ThirdEye, introduce you to 3D Media, and talk about the contract and why it’s important.
A Run Down on ThirdEye
If you have your ear to the ground in the XR space – and particularly if you read ARPost very regularly – you’ve probably heard of ThirdEye. The AR and MR company debuted its first model at CES 2018. They were later awarded a patent for their research into OLED display technology. Their X2 headset was subsequently released in September of last year.
The company claims to offer the lightest MR glasses on the market. You’ll find lighter AR headsets out there, but ThirdEye’s advanced MR headsets utilize advanced technology like SLAM. This specialized XR technology allows the glasses to scan their environment while overlaying digital content. This allows for a more immersive experience as well as one that is scaled to fit complicated and dynamic environments.
While Nreal and Norm focus more on a consumer market, ThirdEye’s focus is on industry. There, their lightweight, self-contained design, and wide field of view make them ideal.
“The Industrial XR market primarily looks for ROI and efficiencies and how to improve worker safety,” ThirdEye founder Nick Cherukuri said in an interview with ARPost this weekend. “The casual XR market is looking for a sleek product that can help replace the phone and not necessarily improve work efficiency and ROI.”
An Introduction to 3D Media
3D media is a company that ARPost hasn’t run into much in our coverage. They are an AR and VR company that makes training material for chemical and power companies. Specifically, they specialize in making scans of an actual workspace. That way, people working in complex and dangerous work environments can get virtual training in a model of their actual work environment.
Because 3D Media take their job very seriously, they pride themselves on working with the best people in the industry. So, when they got a new contract with the Air Force, they reached out to ThirdEye.
“When we go into a project, we never assume what the outcome is going to be – the answer comes from collaborating with other experts. By partnering with ThirdEye, we’re arming airmen with the X2 MR glasses to significantly improve their day-to-day,” 3D Media Founder and CEO Daryl Roy said in the release. “I believe that augmented reality’s largest opportunity is in the area of human performance, where there’s no margin for error. ThirdEye has proven to be successful in military environments, and with life and death literally on the line, it’s important to arm our military personnel with the best.”
Training the Air Force With XR Technology
The project, according to a press release shared with ARPost, includes training flight crews and maintainers of B-1 planes in the Air Force’s 7th Bomb Wing.
“3D Media is a leading company that received a contract for Air Force training with AR, and they chose ThirdEye as our X2 MR Glasses fit their technical needs and we provided good technical support,” said Cherukuri. “With ThirdEye’s background in the military, it is great to see our X2 MR Glasses being used for training and maintenance to aid the Air Force with improved training and worker efficiency.”
The partnership is an opportunity for both companies to benefit from the other’s past achievements and expertise. It’s also an opportunity for both companies to learn from one another to make better products in the future.
Why You Should Care
Right now, the only groups directly benefiting from this partnership are the two companies and the Air Force. However, it’s really good news for everybody.
Industry in general and defense in particular are the birthplaces of a lot of advanced technology – including early XR technology. However, much of this technology eventually finds its way into consumer markets as well. That means that, down the road, we may all well enjoy the fruits of this partnership.
