Vuzix STAR 1200 XL See-Through AR Headset Gets Even More Immersive

Vuzix has revealed its latest augmented reality headset, the STAR 1200 XL, featuring transparent lenses for overlaying digital graphics on top of the wearer's view of the real world. Billed as see-through eyewear, the STAR 1200 XL offers a Wide Field of View (WFOV) perspective for 35-degree graphics, with each eyepiece running at WVGA 852 x 480 resolution.

The STAR 1200 XL builds on Vuzix's previous STAR 1200 headset which we tried out last year, broadening the field of view of that model so as to make the augmented reality world more immersive. As well as the dual displays there's a detachable 1080p HD camera, based on the Logitech C920, which can be used to track the real-world so that computer graphics are locked into place in the wearer's perspective.

It can be swapped out for a more compact camera, around one-quarter of the size and weight, though limited to either 1600 x 1200 (at 5-7fps) or 640 x 480 25-30fps video capture. Each camera shows up as a regular USB webcam to your PC.

There are also sensors for tracking movement, removable if you want to save weight, and removable earphones. The control box has a battery good for up to 7hrs usage, with inputs for VGA, component, and composite video sources; you can play back 2D or 3D content.

None of that Google Glass queue-jumping comes cheap, however. The Vuzix STAR 1200 XL is up for preorder at $4,999, targeted at AR developers with a free copy of the company's own maxReality Autodesk plugin, though other AR authoring apps should work too.