Tech manufacturers are toying with all sorts of new ways we can interact with hardware, software and the real world. And now, according to a recently surfaced Microsoft patent, the company could be looking into reinvigorating the gaming space with displays built into eyewear and helmets.

Microsoft’s system, a virtual image projector, could be built into helmets, goggles, and other types of eyewear. It would involve two different images, one projected in front of each eye, providing a stereoscopic 3D experience.

The projectors would be partially transparent, so you could play a game while still seeing a semblance of your natural environment. Alternately, a game could merge the real world with a virtual world beamed in front of your retinas.

There’s one fundamental problem of having a display projected so close to your eye, though: The human eye can’t focus on images less than an inch or two away. Microsoft’s patent solves this problem by projecting the image as if it’s viewed at arm’s length. Projected scenes appear to be 21 inches in diagonal with a 16:9 aspect ratio.



Such “wearables” are commonly regarded as the next frontier of tech. Google has reportedly been working on a sunglasses-like heads-up display (HUD) unit that could go on sale before the end of the year. Apple has also dabbled in eye-worn displays, if past patents are any indicator. Other types of wearable technology could be built into clothing, or even be embedded in your flesh.

As for the helmet, the more awkward potential implementation of this projector technology, Microsoft envisions it could be used in aviation applications in addition to gaming.

via [ wired ]

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