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zSpace VR/AR Laptop and AIO
zSpace VR/AR Laptop and AIO
Description
Description
The zSpace AR/VR laptop is a laptop that uses special 3D glasses and stylus to allow users the ability to make objects in an AR/VR environment. Unlike other AR/VR equipment, the zSpace use very little headgear and uses a stylus connected to the laptop. The headgear are a simple pair of glasses with marks on them to help the computer track your eye movement. With laptops advancing in technology I think it would be interesting to learn how we could start incorporating AR/VR equipment into laptops. I believe that this would help eliminate the need for expensive add ons such as the bulky head gear that VR equipment use and replace the hand controllers with easier to grasp items such as pens or maybe just our hands.
AR/VR Glasses
AR/VR Glasses
Tracked Glasses work in conjunction with the zSpace Tracking System to provide the user with an interactive AR/VR experience.
Follower Glasses allow others to join in and participate for a collaborative experience.
source: https://zspace.com/laptop/
Stylus
Stylus
With the zSpace stylus, users can rotate their wrist naturally as they pick up and examine objects. The buttons on the stylus perform different actions depending on the zSpace application you are using.
source: https://zspace.com/laptop/
What is zSpace used for?
What is zSpace used for?
The zSpace laptop is used for education purpose. These laptops were designed to give students the ability to learn with a more interactive space. The laptops comes with a many different apps to help students learn. The VIVED science app covers a wide variety of different subjects. Students are able to select different type of models ranging from astronomy, earth science, chemistry, and many others. These objects appear in a 3D space and are intractable with the stylus that comes with the laptop. As shown in the picture to the left, the student is currently using the computer to view an Allosaurus, while using the VIVED science app. Users can rotate objects around and click on parts of objects to be given a description of the object. They can also use different AR apps such as an element tables that change sizes depending on which elements are selected. It also gives the user the basic information of the elements they are looking at.
What is zSpace used for? Cont
What is zSpace used for? Cont
Another useful app that comes pre installed is the GRAFE Virtual Auto Mechanic. This app is very similar to the VIVED app, but instead of focusing on science models, this app allows students and teachers to show off car parts. Not every school has the ability to have a garage for students to work on cars. The app allows those schools to show students the in and outs of car and gives them first hand experience with the parts. Working on cars is a very on hands experience and is much harder to teach by just using books. Just like the VIVED app, the GRAFE app allows the user to rotate and click on specific parts of the object. The app also breaks apart the car parts and shows the students how everything is connected. It allows students to bring individual parts closer them and examine them in more details. It may not be as interactive or hands on as the real thing, but it is a nice substitute for schools that don't have auto shops for students. As shown in the picture, the user is interacting with an engine and showing how the parts are connected.
Is it really AR/VR?
Is it really AR/VR?
The company calls it laptop an AR/VR computer, but is that just a marketing scheme they use to sell the computer to schools? The answer is kind of. The computer uses an AR/ 3D area strategy where they bring the image to life and have it appear in front of the screen as a 3D model. The computer does this by using the cameras that are embedded on the top corners of the laptop. The cameras are used to track the lens of the glasses and to pin point where the stylus is. The lens have dots on them so that the computer has an easier time tracking them. The model is only intractable with the stylus and can only be viewed while looking at the screen. Almost all the apps designed for the laptop use this function, even if some vary in quality.
How does the computer incorporate VR, it really doesn't. The computer claims that the computer uses both an AR and VR environment when using their apps, but for the most part, the computer only displays 3D images in more of an AR environment. I found this to be a little disappointing. The laptop would have been way more interactive if it also used more VR. They could have had a second pair of glasses that were a little bit larger and supported VR. It could plug in to a usb like the stylus and allow students to view objects in a 3D environment while using the stylus as a controller.
The location of the AR camera
source:https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tgRagZR7Ut5G2SGTAsXMJQ-650-80.jpg
With great technology, comes okay power
With great technology, comes okay power
The zSpace AR/VR laptop came out in June 25 2018. On release the computer comes with an AMD APU A9-9420 processor, 8 gb of rams , and a 250 gb ssd. This technology is the same technology being used in 2019. The company has not upgraded the specs of their machine, but have kept the same price of the laptop. The problem with this is that technology is constantly evolving. The AMD processor the computer is using is already out of date and 8 gb of ram is pretty low for AR and VR. While researching the laptop many reviewers complained that the laptop worked well with the AR apps, but would struggle with simple web searches after a couple of windows had been open using their web browser. The problem with these low specs is that schools can just purchase "gaming computers" with better specs and an HTC vive for about the same price. Something the company could do is update the hardware in the machines and sell the out dated machines at a lower discount.
Let's make a deal
Let's make a deal
The Zpacer AR/VR laptop is in a unique market. There are almost no other laptops that have AR and VR equipment built into them, which means that the company gets to set the price for the computer on the market. The company currently has the computer listed for $1,299. That's alot of money for the average consumer to be spending on a laptop, however the computer is designed to be sold to schools. That being said the computer is still fairly expensive and schools may need to buy one or two classrooms worth of theses computers which can easily rack up a large price tag. My biggest grief with the price is that the actual computer specs and performance. As discussed before the computer specs are mediocre when compared to other laptops and the performance can be poor at times. If the market were to expand, then there might be a decrease in price and improvement in specs. It could eventually even be marketed towards daily usage in household instead of just schools. Until that happens though I think the amount that you have to pay is a bit much for what the machine can do.
Final thoughts
Final thoughts
The zSpace AR/VR laptop is a unique laptop that no other company has developed yet for commercial use. The laptop will allow students to interact in the classroom in a new way that hasn't really been done before. It will allow students to experience a new style of teaching and gets them more involved in class room activities. I believe that this is a great idea to incorporate into a teaching environment, however zSpace falls short in some of these areas. zSpace does a great job of having pre built apps for learning already available for their computers and for the most part, they seem to all work pretty, some better then others. zSpace also does a great job of using very little external instruments. zSpace only requires a very light pair of glasses and a usb stylus to be used. This can be a huge plus since VR headsets can be uncomfortable and sometimes heavy. Where zSpace fails, is the actual hardware of the machine. The laptop claims to be AR/VR but the laptop is actually just AR and VR is almost no were to be seen. The hardware is pretty meh and hasn't been updated since it's release. This will only cause more issue down the line, as technology advances, these laptops will become less effective. Another issue is the price that is attached to these laptops. The laptop is fairly expensive and there are other alternatives that are better and have more powerful hardware then the zSpace offers. The laptop is paving a way for schools to switch up their teaching methods, and hopefully will get other companies invested into these type of laptops thus improving the quality of the product for schools and students.
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