Rokid’s new AR glasses have a user interface like Apple’s Vision Pro

Image: Rokid

Rokid recently announced new AR glasses with a gesture-based user interface similar to Apple’s Vision Pro.

Rokid has been designing AR smart glasses and headsets for many years and has developed its own operating system for manipulating virtual controls and navigating AR apps. Known as YodaOS, it recognizes hand micro-gestures, including a pinch gesture similar to the one shown in Apple’s visionOS demonstration.

Rokid AR Studio

Rokid’s new system is called the AR Studio, a bundle of Rokid Max Pro AR glasses and a Rokid Station Pro compute module. The combo is reminiscent of the Rokid Max + Station bundle we recently tested.

What makes AR Studio more versatile is the Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) technology built into the Rokid Max Pro glasses and the processing capabilities of the Rokid Station Pro.

Rokid AR Studio includes Max Pro and Station Pro glasses. | Image: Rokid

Rokid AR Studio can track the movement of the head, hands and nearby objects. The system can use this information in apps and games, just like a VR headset does.

Rokid AR Studio specifications

The display specifications of the Max Pro glasses are quite similar to those of the Rokid Max 1080p resolution with 600 nits of brightness, a field of view (FOV) of 50 degrees and a refresh rate of 90 to 120 Hz. This creates a large virtual screen equivalent to a 215″ TV when viewed from 6 meters.

Rokid’s Max Pro goes beyond smart glasses with a centrally placed camera that calculates depth and tracks movement. Rokid claims centimeter accuracy with its deep learning algorithms.

The wearer’s head and hands are tracked in 3D space with six degrees of freedom to recognize angles and positions, enabling interaction with YodaOS and AR apps.

Rokid’s YodaOS looks similar to Apple’s Vision Pro OS. | Image: Rokid

Rokid Station Pro is a pocket-sized external computing module that attaches to Max Pro goggles to provide power, process sensor data, run apps, and provide video for displays.

It packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+Gen1, 12GB of memory, 128GB of storage, and a fan for active cooling. Based on these specs, CPU and GPU performance should be similar to Meta Quest Pro.

The form factor of the glasses

Rokid’s AR Studio comes in the form of glasses, providing transparent AR with good real-world clarity. Sharp graphics are overlaid.

The experience won’t be as immersive as the mixed reality passthrough presented by a VR headset since the FOV is limited to 50 degrees. Most VR headsets have about twice the FOV.

Rokid AR Studio features a large screen and tracks head and hands. | Image: Rokid

Current VR headsets struggle with passthrough fidelity, while the Rokid Pro Max’s transparent vision will be as sharp, stable and colorful as the real world. However, the Pro Max goggles use Birdbath optics, which dims vision slightly while dark graphics can appear translucent. There are pros and cons to each method.

Price and availability

Rokid’s AR Studio will launch first in China but it should become available elsewhere in the coming months. The price is currently unknown.

Once limited to business users, the mixed reality and AR market will soon become more intriguing to consumers. Meta’s Quest 3 will arrive in a matter of weeks, Apple’s Vision Pro will arrive in early 2024, and Rokid AR Studio could reach other markets within a few months.

All three sound like exciting devices, but we’ll have to wait for hands-on experience to learn how well each AR/mixed reality solution performs, the depth of the ecosystem, and which one offers the best value overall.

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