Vuzix and Vision Smarts release hands free barcode scanning application for M100 Smart Glasses
Vuzix Corporation, a leading supplier of Video Eyewear and Smart Glasses products in the consumer, commercial and entertainment markets, and Vision Smarts, a Belgian company that develops, distributes, and supports software libraries for image recognition and real-time video analysis, today announced that a custom built version of the ‘pic2shop’ application has been created specifically for use with the M100 Smart Glasses.
Designed for scanning QR codes, EAN and UPC barcodes, the customized M100 version now enables complete hands free scanning, providing users with real time data including product names, images and potentially vital shopping information when connected to the internet via the M100 through Wi-Fi link or tethered to a smartphone.
According to Econsultancy.com, 3.3 million UK consumers scanned a QR code in Q2 2012 or about 11.4% of the total smartphone audience. This makes the ‘pic2shop’ a perfect application for Vuzix M100 Smart Glasses users.
Using a combination of user interface modifications and algorithms Vision Smarts created a ‘pic2shop’ version that maximizes the use of the application by M100 wearers, these included:
– Adding a zoom function- users can correctly position the barcode in the line of sight of the M100 camera. Meaning the software application can focus more on the barcode that any other surrounding image.
– Using a Scan line – users see a red line across the barcode – similar to that of a barcode reading sensor on a purchase point. Again providing more accuracy to the code reader
– Specialised algorithms – enabling users to scan 3cm-wide UPC’s or 2cm-wide QR codes up to 50 cm away. N.B. The distance depends on the physical size of the codes. Larger codes will be readable from further away.
The newly modified version of ‘pic2shop’ removes the need to hold a smartphone close to a barcode. The embedded camera, coupled with the new zoom feature now enables the user to read UPC and EAN codes from a distance of up to 50cm away, meaning they can naturally browse ‘on the shelf’ barcodes, billboard QR codes and much more for warehousing to the average consumer.
Benoit Mason, Managing Director of Vision Smarts said, “The M100 Smart Glasses from Vuzix is the ideal device for pic2shop and our barcode reader SDK. The adjustments within the customized version take our application to a complete hands free level, meaning that it becomes a more useable application across multiple industries, such as librarians logging new books, product information researchers, warehousing and more. We’re confident that we can continue to add in further features to enhance work place efficiency and user benefits.
Paul Travers, President and CEO of Vuzix said, “The customized pic2shop application works perfectly with our M100 device. The adjustments that Vision Smarts have added have been developed following some extensive research into how the wearer of the M100 would use the device alongside the ‘pic2shop’ application in a natural manner. This is just one of the many forthcoming applications specifically developed for the M100 device and we look forward to announcing a ‘bank’ of useable applications for our users.”
More information about the M100 device can be found at www.vuzix.com and those wishing to use the ‘pic2shop’ application with an M100 device can download the application package (apk) here, and SDK information for developers is available here.
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