Skip to main content

Lenovo and Kopin are working together to accelerate the AR headset market

Modern Polaxis augmented reality comic book
Sutu
Could 2017 be the year of augmented reality? A new partnership between Lenovo and Kopin just may make it so. Earlier this week, Lenovo Capital and Incubator Group (LCIG) and Kopin Corporation announced the formation of a new joint venture titled Lenovo New Vision. It’s the newest subsidiary of LCIG, and will focus on “AR smart headsets for a broad range of enterprise applications.”

“AR/VR is the next generation technology that will change the world after PC Internet and mobile Internet. It is a required technology investment direction for virtually every enterprise,” said LCIG President George He. “We truly value the cooperation with Kopin, and believe that this cooperation can further accelerate the growth of the enterprise AR market by bringing users optimized products and services.”

Recommended Videos

In the collaboration, Kopin (known best for making display devices), will be bringing its industrial design solutions to leverage “key Kopin components” that will be used in Lenovo New Vision. These components include micro-displays, optics, and software for AR headsets.

“We are very excited to enter into a strategic relationship with Lenovo,” said Dr. John C.C. Fan, Kopin’s President and CEO. “By combining Kopin’s advanced wearable technology and Lenovo’s strength as a global IT and equipment solutions provider, both parties can accelerate the commercialization of AR products and succeed in the fast-growing China and global AR markets.”

Both companies are clearly invested in bringing AR technologies to the forefront, as both are showcasing various AR and VR products at CES in Las Vegas. The hope, of course, is that by working together, the two companies will be able to accelerate the growth of a technology that, as of yet, seems to be largely underutilized. But with the huge success of some mainstream AR applications in 2016 (think Pokémon Go), the time may be right for Lenovo New Vision to create its own vision for the future.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
The best Oculus Rift games
oculus debuts new vr headset rift s

A few years ago, virtual reality (VR) was a costly endeavor. With controllers, sensors, and the headset itself, it was easy to drop $600 or more on a suitable setup. With the recent Oculus Quest 2 and Oculus Rift S, however, getting into VR is now more affordable than ever. The Oculus Rift is the system to use, not only because it's cheap, but also because it has a library of excellent games.

From animatronic scare-fests to tense first-person shooters, here are best Oculus Rift games available today.

Read more
Two new ‘game-changing’ VR headsets could arrive at HTC’s ViveCon next week
HTC Vive Pro Eye virtual reality headset

HTC has been teasing that a new virtual reality headset could launch at its Vivecon conference next week, but the company may have more up its sleeve. We are hearing reports that HTC has several VR headsets in the works. The company is expected to launch at least two new headsets at ViveCon on May 11, and it will likely use the venue to talk about the recently leaked Vive Air.

The two headsets rumored to be launching at ViveCon are the HTC Vive Pro 2 and the Vive Focus 3 Business Edition. HTC's sports-focused Vive Air was leaked late last month, but the company quickly debunked speculation that this particular model will be launching any time soon. Instead, HTC said that the Vive Air is just a concept.

Read more
How to watch HTC’s ViveCon today, the ‘most important VR event of the year’
htc vivecon vr headsets 2021 vive air leak

HTC has been teasing that multiple new virtual reality headsets could be launching at ViveCon, the company's VR conference, this year. Slated to take place virtually this year on May 11, HTC had announced its plan to "[unveil] game-changing VR headsets, software, and platforms to take your experience to another level" at the show. Depending on what's announced, these new VR headsets sound like they could replace a number of options that are currently considered the best VR headsets you can buy.

While ViveCon is expected to be an enterprise-specific conference this year, those following the augmented, virtual, and mixed reality market could see how HTC is advancing the segment with its latest wares and platform to foster more innovation in the VR space.
How to watch ViveCon 2021 live stream

Read more