Hello Reddit! We are Lucyd, an AR smartglass developer. We're creating a pair of wearable smartglasses with a decentralized app store. Ask Us Anything!

The question I must ask is why a "decentralized app store"? Is the software for your device being built from a preexisting kernel (such as Android coming from Linux), or is it rather unique? It seems more practical and cost-effective to attempt to use a pre-existing code for development as to join a well-established app store.

Ok there are quite a few reasons for building our app store on blockchain. Blockchain is being used to decentralize the creation, storage and sale of AR content on the glasses. A tokenized p2p app store is more efficient and can scale faster than a centralized one.

Community building efforts like creating and moderating content will be rewarded with tokens which can be used to purchase new apps and media. We are also trying to enable p2p transfers of the token in our hardware.

Decentralized platform means devs keep all app revenue except small network fees, lowers the cost of delivering and buying content.

Running it on crypto lets users get full use of the platform without revealing personal or financial information.

Additionally, we are going to be leveraging the existing IOS/Android ecosystems in addition to creating a native OS powered via a companion app on the connected smartphone (Lucyd Lens will begin as a bluetooth peripheral.) So essentially, you will be able to mirror your phone UX into the smartglass, or use our new UX as needed.

Who are the “11 signed alliances” you reference above?

1. Credencys Solutions Inc. https://www.credencys.com/ Use their “Center of Excellence” in IoT, wearables, mobile, cloud, AR and other emerging technologies.
2. ROAR http://www.theroar.io/ Conceptualize, design and build your own AR app with features customized for your business.
3. Gravity Jack https://gravityjack.com/ Founded in 2009. Vision of creating a software company around a then-infant technology called augmented reality.
4. INDE http://www.indestry.com/ INDE develops award-winning interactive and immersive products and experiences in entertainment, education and advertising. We develop using emerging technologies – augmented reality, motion capture and computer vision
5. Kagiso Interactive www.kagisointeractive.com Mobile app developers: Kagiso Interactive is a leading, highly advanced, mobile applications development agency.
6. Zco Corporation www.zco.com They have served Fortune 500 companies to small businesses for 25+ years. They employ over 300 engineers, PMs, creative designers, and expert programmers from around the globe.
7. Current Studios www.currentstudios.com Creating beautiful digital media production software, AR and mobile games, Current has been making waves in the development world for a while now.
8. OAB Studios (now Cemtrex Advanced Technologies) www.oabstudios.com Design and custom development solutions to create electrifying experiences for mobile, web and wearables.
9. Roomful.co An AR/VR developer app company
10. Rivetz.com A blockchain security company
11. Gazecoin.io A blockchain sight detection tech company.

Most have had issued press releases such as this one with Rivetz: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rivetz-to-provide-advanced-data-security-for-lucyd-smartglasses-300578859.html

We are updating our site to include new alliances but most are visible on lucyd.co.

Can you do an augmented reality app that makes my POS car look nicer?

Eventually you could see the world through a rose-colored Lens--but this level of AR is still pretty far out. Because of power and processing constraints, lightweight tasks like nav, messaging and Tetris are better suited to the current level of tech.

What tangible advantages will your product provide in everyday life? Keep in mind that to achieve market penetration, using it has to be objectively better than the alternative, and I'm having trouble thinking in what situations would you want your information provided on a tiny screen in front of your eyes, rather than picking up an easily-navigable smartphone.

It's not going to be a tiny screen, it's going to be almost your entire visual field supported with as much virtual content as needed.

In any scenario where you would use your phone, wouldn't it be easier if you could access/send the same info totally handsfree? That's our thinking. Anything that you can do now in your phone, why not do in AR with voice control and finger tracking, saving you time and strain by relaying info in a comfortable, posture-friendly HUD.

Will people who require prescription glasses (myopia and such) be able to use your glasses?

Yes they are natively Rx compatible--you can get an Rx Lens.

I am curious of the impact that products like yours and others will have on society in the future. I recently watched Altered Carbon on Netflix, where they have smart contact lenses essentially. Where do you see this technology going? Do you see it as normalized as cell phones one day, where everyone has one and you are more shocked when they don't?

Edit: I'm referring to the smart glass technology and what the advancement of AR can bring, not necessarily just AR as we think it now.

Hey great thought.

In my opinion (I'm Harrison btw) we are heading towards a convergence of display and computing technologies that could very well hinge on smartglasses in the foreseeable future because of the accepted glasses form factor. Even though we are building what is essentially a bluetooth peripheral display, in the coming years it will be possible to implant a cellular modem in a normal-looking smartglass, removing the need for a separate phone.

See this report for a prediciton of smartglass sales exceeding that of smartphones by 2025: http://www.augmentedreality.org/#!smart-glasses-report/c88h

what interests me the most is. Will you have also just such a small window like the Google glass?

Or will you rather make the screen over a whole eye? Maybe over both eyes and thus create a sort of AR environment?

Hello, our display will be fully binocular with up to 120 degrees of AR-supported HD graphics. Eventually, immersive experiences will be possible once battery specs improve in the coming years.

Where do you see AR standing in comparison to VR (Virtual Reality)? Are they good for their own things, AR superior to VR, AR as a next step to VR, etc

I think VR is really more gaming and entertainment oriented, while AR is geared towards daily tasks and productivity.

Does it have a good alternative to voice control so you don't have to walk around talking to yourself like an ass hole? (As in something that is easier and takes less effort than wiggling your thumbs on a smartphone.)

Finger tracking is also planned, and a bit further down the line, ocular cursor control through gaze tracking. With ocular cursor control, you could navigate through interface with just your eyes, and double blink to click!

Do you have an estimate about what the consumer version will cost once in production? I mean, are you aiming around 400$ or around 1000$?

The MSRP has yet to be nailed down since we are still early in development. Most likely they will cost around an iphone eventually, but a few hundred dollars more if you need Rx lenses.

Are you hoping to be bought out by one of the big guys or are your committed to doing your own thing?

We are not looking for a total buyout, but we are seeking a large manufacturing partner to actually bring to market. We are a hardware developer, not a consumer electronics manufacturer.

Why do you think other companies failed in the same industry? And what is your thoughts on Microsoft vision ar?

It's still very early in the industry.

Hololens looks to us to be more of a PC successor--we are aiming to be a mobile phone peripheral, and perhaps eventually a mobile phone successor.

How much will the finished product cost. And are you planning on making different versions?

Exact price hasn't been determined, but you can reserve 1/500 beta pairs by joining the ICO for $1150 or more at lucyd.co.

There will be different frame styles and colors, with more added over time.

Any thoughts as to how your product will be different or similar to Magic Leap?

What are some of the apps for your product that you have seen in development that gets you excited? That you think should get others excited, too?

When can we see a demonstration of your product?

We see Magic Leap and Hololens heading in a PC or XBOX successor trajectory, while we are aiming to be more of a cell phone successor that works for all day wear.

I think AR-RPG's are my favorite application to date. Seeing how Pokemon Go got everyone going, full scale RPG's in the real world will be intense--helping people get off the couch and back in the real world, to have fun, together. See more applications on lucyd.co/technology.

Expecting our first real prototype by the end of the year.

How do you plan on attracting the main stream audience with your new product? What will make people want to purchase your product?

Since we are building an improved form of glasses, and improved way to store and access crypto funds, there are many segments of society who could enjoy our product.

We also think it can introduce the AR/VR crowd to blockchain, the blockchain crowd to AR/VR, and the general public to both!

Predicted Pricing?

Somewhere around that of an iphone, once production is at scale. More if you need an Rx Lens.

Do you think that these smartglasses could possibly help blind or visually impaired people? Is that something that could be incorporated?

Absolutely. See this article for potential applications: https://www.newsbtc.com/2017/12/18/potential-applications-lucyds-blockchain-fueled-smartglasses/

One way it could help visually impaired people is by sounding geolocated alerts through the Lens' speakers, eg if the Lens picks up an approaching vehicle through the microphone or front-facing camera. Similarly, for the hearing impaired, can be given a virtual teleprompter presenting words spoken to the user in written form, or visual alerts on potential hazards outside of the user's periphery. The apps will be possible through our developer community and AR app developer alliances, by the second gen of our product most likely.

Do you need additional dev or embedded teams? This is exactly the type of projects that my consulting company helps with. Super cool stuff. Good luck!

We are always seeking new dev partners, and are planning to make our platform extremely easy for app and blockchain devs to clip their content on our ecosystem. Send partnership ideas to [email protected]!