INMO Air2 CEO interview: A deep dive into the future of AR glasses
In the ever-evolving world of technology, the question on everyone's lips is: what comes after the smartphone? The answer, according to INMO, a leading brand in smart glasses development, is the INMO Air2.
These glasses-style AR devices offer a different approach than virtual reality devices like the Apple Vision. They focus on seamless integration with the user's surroundings. That means watching YouTube, reading books, answering emails etc, entirely through the glasses and without looking at your phone - whilst still being able to see the reality in front of you.
Essentially they would be able to do the job of your smartphone whilst at the same time allowing you to interact with the world around you. They also include real time translation capabilities, where the translation appears in front of your eyes. And INMO has also installed its own version of ChatGPT which can act as an intelligent assistant.
The Air 2 is the second pair of glasses from INMO, and last week we sat down with the CEO of INMO, Mr. Yang Longsheng, to discuss the glasses and what they could mean for tech fans everywhere.
"The INMO Air2 is designed to be "a lightweight, wireless, and everyday wearable device."
Wearing the INMO Air2 AR glasses during the interview to demonstrate the translation capabilities, Mr. Yang shared the vision behind the product and the journey of its creation. The INMO Air2 is designed to be "a lightweight, wireless, and everyday wearable device,” he said.
“Currently, there are two common types of glasses on the market. One is the bulky helmet-like glasses, and the other requires connection to a mobile phone with wires. From INMO's perspective, we believe that what consumers really want or expect is glasses that are like earphones or watches, which can be worn at any time, are very light, and are similar to our daily glasses.”
"The glasses can play videos of cooking recipes while we cook. Compared to holding a phone next to us, this is much more convenient."
Describing the INMO Air2, Mr. Yang highlighted its versatility, explaining that the glasses function not only as a pair of glasses but also as a "portable, interactive screen" capable of playing movies, translating conversations in real-time, editing documents, and receiving messages. Additionally, with the inclusion of ChatGPT, the glasses offer powerful communication and entertainment capabilities.
Mr Yang said: “Firstly, we actually want to make the glasses into an intelligent assistant, just like what we see in Iron Man with Jarvis, it can assist you in doing some imaginative things in real-time. For example, in the workplace, whether it's in a video conference or encountering unfamiliar languages while traveling abroad, we can use the translation function to help users achieve smoother communication.
“At the same time, in the workplace, we can use it as a teleprompter for presentations. For example, if I need to do a presentation with someone today, I can put my text or PPT inside the glasses to introduce it. These functions are very practical in some of our work scenarios.
“As an AI assistant, we also hope it can become a companion in people's lives. For example, when cooking at home, sometimes we encounter dishes we don't know how to make. At this time, the glasses can play videos of cooking recipes while we cook. Compared to holding a phone next to us, this is much more convenient.
"Similar scenarios in life include repairs at home or assembling small devices. Previously hiring a worker would be expensive, but now we can wear glasses and let the AI assistant guide us on how to solve problems in life and work scenarios.”
Mr Yang also highlighted the entertainment benefits of glasses style devices over smartphones.
He continued: “At the same time, in addition to AI assistant functions, we also support entertainment functions, such as watching videos, YouTube, etc. We can watch videos on our way to work or camping with friends on the weekends.
"Our goal and vision all along have been to make AR glasses lightweight and everyday and wireless."
"The Device is very simple and does not require holding a phone and also means we can chat while doing things. The glasses also support some screen projection functions for example projecting videos from our phones into the glasses.”
When asked about what makes INMO stand out in the AR market, Mr. Yang pointed to their commitment to convenience.. He said: "We believe that what consumers really want or expect is glasses that are like earphones or watches... wireless and lightweight. This commitment to creating an unobtrusive product has been a central guiding principle for INMO.
“We see that currently more products on the market are still these big helmets or need to be connected with a wire and then used in conjunction with a mobile phone. Our goal and vision all along have been to make AR glasses lightweight and everyday and wireless, which is what we have been working hard on over these last few years.”
"We are the first company in the industry to use a watch chip to make AR glasses.”
What was perhaps most fascinating about the interview with Mr Yang were the insights into the development process. The development process for the INMO Air2 was of course no walk in the park and Mr. Yang explained the challenges they faced in creating this innovative product.
"To create lightweight glasses, we needed to solve many problems. Firstly, at the hardware level, we need to make a very small circuit board that can be placed inside the temple of the glasses to avoid it looking bulky.
“After nearly 3-4 years of iteration, we have finally achieved an ultra-small board that can be folded and placed in the temple. Now, our process has reached 12 layers, which is basically a top level design in terms of hardware. At the same time, through exploring many chip options, whether it's a mobile phone chip or other chips, we are the first company in the industry to use a watch chip to make AR glasses.”
On the software level, INMO say they have optimized the underlying Android system to run impressive effects, such as real-time translation during conversations. Mr Yang also mentioned their lightweight SLAM technology. He contrasted INMO's approach with others in the industry.
"Unlike other companies that use multiple cameras for positioning, we achieved a complete six-way interactive effect with just a single black and white camera. Usually, we are accustomed to using eight cameras to achieve free positioning, but we only used a very simple black and white camera in the position of the glasses. With only one camera, we achieved a complete six-way interactive effect."
"We hope that in the future we can wear glasses to play Pokémon and catch the Pokemon directly with our hands."
Looking to the future, Mr. Yang expressed optimism for future features and updates of the INMO Air2, sharing plans to incorporate AR-enabled content and collaborate with popular games like Pokémon GO. “In the future, we will try to incorporate some truly AR-enabled content into the glasses and innovate as much as possible. For example, we are also collaborating with some content including Pokémon GO, and we hope that in the future we can wear glasses to play Pokémon and catch the Pokemon directly with our hands.”
Most users here on Heyup were excited about a potential release date of the INMO Air2, and Mr Yang revealed some exciting news. He said that the first batch of mass production has been achieved, with an aim to deliver the products to users within one month of crowdfunding. In a final note Mr. Yang assured us that “after receiving the product, you will definitely feel the charm of our smart glasses."
Tune in for the full interview on Friday July 21.
So Heyuppers, If you’re as excited as we are about the INMO Air2, and our interview and you want to hear even more details, you’re in luck. On Friday July 21, we’ll be dropping the full video version of the interview on our social media channels so make sure you stay tuned!
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