French startup Lynx announced its Lynx R-1 mixed reality headset last year. Earlier it was reported that the standalone headset, which supports both virtual reality and end-to-end AR, will be available for business at a price of about $ 1,500. Now Lynx says that it will focus on attracting both corporate customers and ordinary consumers, and will reduce the cost of the headset “to a level below $ 1,000”. The company says that you can expect a Kickstarter sometime in September 2021.
Lynx founder and CEO Stan Larrock announced several key changes to his upcoming mixed reality headset in a July project update.
In short, the headset now includes a modified version of its unique “four-sided catadioptric prism of any shape”, which eliminates the need for eye tracking, which was required due to the relatively small eyepiece of the headset-the best perception zone inside the headset, where you can view the image in focus.
One of the biggest discoveries after the update was that the Lynx R-1 is expected to cost “well below $ 1,000” or just “a couple hundred dollars,” says Larrock. This was achieved by changing some components, but it was not specified which ones.
Larroc confirmed that the headset will still include Ultraleap hand tracking, which is the only other change in its overall feature set. All other functions are considered valid, and the product is “finished”, including technical characteristics and design. The Qualcomm Snpadragon XR-2 is still listed in the headset specification.
A month-long Kickstarter campaign to finance the reorientation of the headset to consumers is expected in September 2021, and deliveries are aimed at February 2022. Lynx says it will reimburse those who pre-ordered the headset and provide them with a discount promo code. It is also planned to offer a special transparent version of the headset, which you can see in the image above.
