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        Head-mounted computer runs Windows CE

        Jonathan Angel | Date: Sep 21, 2009 | Comments: 1


        Display manufacturer Kopin is showing off a Motorola-branded computer built into a Bluetooth headset, providing a "virtual 15-inch display" via a swing-down eyepiece. The second-generation "Golden-i" incorporates speech recognition, weighs three ounces, runs more than eight hours on a charge, and runs Windows CE, says Kopin.


        The BlueRadios WiPC
        (Click image for further information)
        Like the WiPC portable media player (right) announced by BlueRadios in May -- and the first-generation Golden-i headset shown off the same month -- the second-generation Golden-i incorporates Kopin's CyberDisplay, a microdisplay that offers 800 x 600 pixel resolution and is claimed to look like a 15-inch monitor when positioned close to the eye. But, while the WiPC was designed for "content snacking" and must be held up to the eye manually, the Golden-i devices have been built into Bluetooth headsets.

        Kopin, which says it will be showcasing the newest Golden-i devices at this week's Embedded Systems Conference (ESC) in Boston, was not specific about the changes that have been made in the new "second-generation" version of its headset, but images released by the company (below) make the device appear somewhat smaller and lighter. In addition, the company originally said the microdisplay employed in the Golden-i was .6 inches diagonally, while the display is now described as measuring just .44 inches.

        Kopin's second-generation Golden-i
        (Click to enlarge)

        According to Kopin, the Golden-i uses its Bluetooth 2.0 radio to make a wide area connection via a cellular phone or other host device, and is designed to provide a user with remote access to their office desktop computer. Kopin claims the headset, which runs Windows CE 6.0 R2, provides "full hands-free access to all PC applications, data files, and services," via Nuance VoCon 3200 speech recognition software.

        Thanks to an integral, six-axis position tracker from Hillcrest Labs, it's said, users can operate a cursor with "nearly pixel-for-pixel accuracy," and zoom in and out on their remote desktops. The position tracker can also extend available workspace beyond 800 x 600 pixels, switching from one virtual desktop to another automatically when a user looks to the left or right, Kopin adds.

        According to John Fan, Kopin's president and CEO, the "Golden-i is capable of remotely waking Windows PCs from a hibernating state. After Golden-i establishes a Bluetooth, WiFi or cellular link through a host device, users see their PC desktop screen on a 15-inch virtual display, offering hands-free access to PC applications, data files and services. When work is done, the PC may be placed in hibernation with a single spoken command."

        Apart from emphasizing the possibility of accessing enterprise computers via Microsoft's Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), Kopin said the Golden-i will provide "hands-free spontaneous access to all digital information, broadcast programming and Internet services," and can stream 480p (720 x 480 pixel) video over Bluetooth at up to 30 frames per second. While WiFi is apparently not included on the initial prototypes, it will be added later for autonomous web browsing, the company says.

        Kopin says the Golden-i's speech recognition provides "over 90 percent proficiency straight out of the box," requires no push-to-talk button, and is always ready to react to a user's requests. In addition, the device is also said to incorporate text-to-speech capabilities, enabling it to read back documents, e-mails, webpages, or other text displayed on screen.

        Like the WiPC mentioned earlier in this story and the original Golden-i, the second-generation version of the headset uses a Cortex-A8-based Texas Instruments OMAP3530 system-on-chip (SoC) clocked at 600MHz. The amount of memory included on the device is not specified, but the headset will include both a mini-USB port and a microSD expansion slot, Kopin says. The headset will operate for more than eight hours using a single 1200 mAh battery, the company adds.

        Features and specifications listed for the Golden-i include:

        • Processor -- TI OMAP3530 clocked at 600MHz
        • Display -- Kopin SVGA (800 x 600) liquid crystal micro display (LCD)
        • Networking:
          • Bluetooth 2.0
          • WiFi -- "Will be offered soon"
        • User interface -- Includes speech recognition and motion sensing
        • Other I/O -- 1 x USB
        • Expansion -- microSD slot
        • Power -- 1200 mAh battery provides more than eight hours of operation
        • Weight -- 3 oz (85g)
        • Operating system -- Windows CE
        Kopin says it has shipped more than 30 million microdisplays, already commonly used in devices such as digital cameras, personal video eyewear, camcorders, thermal weapon sights and night vision systems. The company's proprietary displays and heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) are said to be protected by more than 200 global patents and patents pending.

        Availability

        Kopin released renderings of the Golden-i that carry Motorola branding,as pictured earlier in this story, and has also provided the press withdocumentation suggesting that the device might be brought to market byMotorola. (Despite the falling market share of Motorola's handsetdivision and the parent company's financial losses, Moto's Enterprise Mobile Solutions group continues to be profitable, and continues to release a bevy of Windows Mobile handhelds targeting warehousing, logistics, public safety, and other applications.)

        According to Kopin, third-generation Golden-i prototypes will be made available for customer field trials in December 2009. Mass production is expected to begin in 2010, the company adds.

        The device is being demonstrated this week at the Microsoft booth at the Embedded Systems Conference (ESC) in Boston, which runs from Sept. 21 to Sept. 24.


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