Dream Glass
More actions
| Dream Glass | |
|---|---|
| |
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Augmented Reality |
| Type | Head-mounted display |
| Subtype | AR Glasses |
| Developer | DreamWorld |
| Announcement Date | Prototype shown to press in May 2017; developer kit pre-orders opened 6 June 2018 |
| Release Date | 2018 |
| Price | $399 (early-bird developer kit price, June 2018); $619 regular price |
| Requires | Windows PC or a compatible Android smartphone |
| Display | |
| Resolution | 1280x800 per-eye (marketed as 2.5K) |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Image | |
| Field of View | 90° diagonal |
| Optics | |
| Optics | Optical see-through |
| Tracking | |
| Tracking | 3DoF head tracking; marker-based positional tracking (listed as in development at launch) |
| Hand Tracking | Hand gesture recognition with an infrared camera |
| Audio | |
| Audio | 3.5 mm jack |
| Microphone | Yes |
| Camera | 1080p front-facing RGB camera; infrared camera for hand gestures |
| Connectivity | |
| Ports | PC: 2 x USB 3.0 and 1 x HDMI 1.4; Android: 1 x USB Type-C |
| Device | |
| Weight | 240 g (without cable) |
Dream Glass is an augmented reality head-mounted display released in 2018. It was developed by DreamWorld (DreamWorld USA Inc.), a startup based in San Mateo, California, and is also written DreamGlass.[1][2] The headset is tethered to a Windows PC or to a compatible Android smartphone, and the first version was sold as a developer kit with a Unity-based SDK.[3][4]
DreamWorld opened pre-orders on 6 June 2018 at an early-bird price of US$399, with a regular price of US$619, and said the first batch would ship to developers by the end of June 2018.[1][5] The headset has a 90-degree diagonal field of view, 60 Hz displays and a weight of 240 grams without the cable. Head tracking is limited to three degrees of freedom.[4] Launch coverage compared its price with those of the Meta 2 and the Microsoft HoloLens, which cost several times more.[3][6]
History
Prototype and lawsuit
DreamWorld was founded in 2016. Its chief executive, Kevin Zhong, received a PhD in physiological optics in 2011, according to the company's website.[4] Before founding DreamWorld he worked at Meta Company, where Next Reality reported he had headed the optics department.[7]
UploadVR tried early prototypes of the headset, then called the Dreamworld Glass, and reported on them on 9 May 2017. Representatives did not allow photos. UploadVR described the company as a startup with 10 employees and US$2 million in funding. It saw two form factors: a smaller, lighter model that showed the field of view and basic head tracking, and a much larger model fitted with "over the counter" depth sensors for positional tracking. The headset connected to an Android smartphone over USB-C, and UploadVR described its optics as "a Meta-esque optics system that places the screens at an angle above the lenses." DreamWorld told UploadVR that the final price would be under US$350, that the headset would be officially unveiled at CES Asia in June 2017, and that limited shipments would begin in the 2017 holiday season. UploadVR found the field of view large, with the display borders just outside peripheral vision, but called the positional tracking on the SLAM model "jittery and glitch-prone throughout."[8]
In July 2017, display analyst Karl Guttag compared the design with the Mira Prism, a headset that reflects a smartphone screen off curved combiners. He wrote that DreamWorld had announced a headset using "bug-eye combiners" that also included tracking electronics, and that, unlike Mira, it was "more of a concept than a product" at that stage.[9]
In June 2017, Meta Company sued Zhong (named in the suit as Zhangyi Zhong) and DreamWorld USA Inc. in federal court in the Northern District of California, alleging misappropriation of trade secrets and confidential information, breach of contract and related claims. According to Next Reality, which obtained the filing, Meta alleged that Zhong had used confidential knowledge from his work at Meta to speed up development of DreamGlass, and that renderings of the DreamGlass optical engine closely resembled prototype engines designed at Meta. Zhong called the claims "completely baseless and without merit."[7] Court filings reported in August 2017 showed that the parties had reached a settlement; its terms were not disclosed.[10]
In November 2017, Next Reality reported, based on court filings of 3 November, that the case had been settled and that DreamWorld planned to open pre-orders. The report described the headset as offering a 100-degree field of view with hand gesture recognition and positional tracking, with pre-orders priced at US$400. DreamWorld planned in-person demonstrations, including at CES 2018 in Las Vegas.[11] The developer kit that went on sale in June 2018 was specified with a 90-degree field of view.[4]
Developer kit launch
DreamWorld launched the developer kit on 6 June 2018.[1][12] In a press statement, Zhong said: "There is so much potential in augmented reality, but the hardware limitations and steep price points of headsets available today have not made it easy for developers to fully contribute to the ecosystem."[5] He told Tom's Hardware that the first generation was a developer kit and that DreamWorld planned to release consumer versions and its own software distribution network once developers had produced content, "similar to the path Oculus has taken."[3] Tom's Hardware reported that the company already had inventory and expected to deliver the first orders near the end of June 2018.[3]
In the Next Reality launch report, Tommy Palladino noted that DreamGlass resembled the Meta 2 in appearance, field of view and resolution but cost and weighed far less, with lesser capabilities. He quoted a 2017 DreamWorld statement to Next Reality describing DreamGlass as "a low-priced AR device that is accessible to average consumers for mobile and entertainment applications," while Meta had positioned its headset for the workplace.[5]
Design and hardware
DreamWorld described DreamGlass as a "cross-platform compatible, optical see-through augmented reality headset."[4] Wareable noted that the headset has no internal battery and relies on the connected phone or PC.[6] With a PC it connects through two USB 3.0 ports and an HDMI 1.4 port; with an Android phone it uses a single USB Type-C connection.[4] The box contained the headset, a PC adapter and a cleaning cloth. A USB Type-C adapter with an integrated battery, needed for smartphone use, and a carrying case were sold separately.[4] SiliconANGLE listed the adapter at US$74.99 and the case at US$39.99.[1]
DreamWorld marketed the display resolution as 2.5K.[4] Tom's Hardware gave the resolution as 1280x800 per eye, running at 60 Hz, and called it medium resolution.[3] The field of view is 90 degrees diagonal.[4] For comparison, GearBrain noted that the first HoloLens had a field of view of about 35 degrees.[2]
The headset has a 1080p front-facing RGB camera with a microphone, and an infrared camera for hand gesture recognition. Audio output is through a 3.5 mm jack.[4] Tom's Hardware reported that the IR-based gesture tracking was developed in-house.[3] Head tracking has three degrees of freedom. At launch, DreamWorld listed marker-based positional tracking as in development.[4] Other reports described the headset as limited to 3DoF head tracking, with six degrees of freedom available through marker-based AR experiences.[5][3]
| Specification | Dream Glass (developer kit) |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1280x800 per eye (marketed as 2.5K) |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz |
| Field of view | 90° diagonal |
| Head tracking | 3DoF; marker-based positional tracking listed as in development |
| Hand input | Gesture recognition with an infrared camera |
| Cameras | 1080p front-facing RGB camera with microphone; infrared camera |
| Audio | 3.5 mm jack |
| Weight | 240 g (without cable) |
| PC connection | 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x HDMI 1.4 |
| Android connection | 1 x USB Type-C (adapter with battery sold separately) |
| SDK | Unity-based, supporting Windows and Android |
| Price | $399 early-bird; $619 regular |
Sources for the table: DreamWorld's product page and launch coverage.[4][3][1]
Software and compatibility
DreamWorld's SDK is based on Unity and supports Windows and Android.[4] The company listed the following phones as compatible, with the USB Type-C accessory required: Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+, Note 8, S9 and S9+; Huawei Mate 10, Mate 10 Pro, P20 and P20 Pro; and HTC 10 and U11. It said iPhone and iPad support was in development.[4] Wareable reported that some smartphones could be used as external displays, so that the phone's touchscreen could be used to interact with content.[12]
According to Wareable, DreamWorld had interest from the healthcare sector at the time of its July 2018 hands-on.[6]
Reception
In a hands-on published on 3 July 2018, Hugh Langley of Wareable found the headset light and, after some adjustment, the image clear, with colors he described as vibrant. He wrote that the 90-degree field of view was on par with the Meta 2 and made virtual objects appear more a part of the room. A model of a beating heart "managed to just about stay put" as he moved, though tracking was a little jittery. He found DreamWorld's selection gesture, made by holding out a hand and closing it, hard to use and its responsiveness inconsistent. Wareable also reported that DreamWorld was working with partners on a 6DoF system for future development kits.[6]
The Ghost Howls called DreamGlass "a cheap augmented reality headset made for developers" and praised its field of view, weight and smartphone support. It criticized the lack of environmental and 6DoF positional tracking, which meant virtual objects could only float around the user's head or be placed on markers, and the need to be tethered to a PC.[13]
In December 2018, Next Reality included DreamGlass in its list of the five most innovative augmented reality products of the year. The list gave prices starting at US$619, or US$799 for a 6DoF version. Adario Strange wrote that the device had not received much attention, and that the main obstacles for it were marketing and a developer community.[14]
Successors
According to a July 2020 DreamWorld press release, the company's first consumer AR headset, Dream Glass Air, raised over US$1 million in August 2019. The same release, dated 14 July 2020, announced Dream Glass 4K, marketed with a 200-inch virtual screen for films and games, through an Indiegogo campaign.[15]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Kyt Dotson (2018-06-06). "DreamWorld launches $399 augmented reality glasses that connect to your smartphone". SiliconANGLE. https://siliconangle.com/2018/06/06/dreamworld-launches-399-augmented-reality-glasses-connect-smartphone/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Alistair Charlton (2018-06-06). "The DreamGlass is a $399 augmented reality headset with a huge field of view". GearBrain. https://www.gearbrain.com/dreamglass-augmented-reality-headset-launched-2575665642.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Kevin Carbotte (2018-06-06). "DreamWorld Introduces $399 DreamGlass AR Headset Dev Kit". Tom's Hardware. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/dreamworld-399-dreamglass-ar-headset-dev-kit,37220.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 "Dreamworld AR: Introducing DreamGlass (archived copy of 14 June 2018)". DreamWorld. DreamWorld USA Inc.. https://web.archive.org/web/20180614030822/https://www.dreamworldvision.com/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Tommy Palladino (2018-06-06). "Former Meta Exec Launches DreamGlass AR Headset, Shipping at End of June for $399". Next Reality. https://meta.reality.news/news/former-meta-exec-launches-dreamglass-ar-headset-shipping-end-june-for-399-0185131/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Hugh Langley (2018-07-03). "Trying on DreamGlass, the headset that's trying to make AR more accessible". Wareable. https://www.wareable.com/ar/dreamglass-ar-headset-review-3123. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Tommy Palladino (2017-06-08). "Meta Sues Former Employee Over Trade Secrets". Next Reality. https://meta.reality.news/news/meta-sues-former-employee-over-trade-secrets-0177992/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ Joe Durbin (2017-05-09). "Dreamworld Is Making AR Glasses That Connect To Your Phone For Under $350". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/thes-ar-glasses-connect-smartphones-keep-prices-350/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ Karl Guttag (2017-07-22). "Mira Prism and Dreamworld AR - (What Disney Should Have Done?)". KGOnTech. https://kguttag.com/2017/07/22/mira-prism-and-dreamworld-ar-what-disney-should-have-done/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ Tommy Palladino (2017-08-21). "Meta Reaches Settlement as Patent Infringement Claims Emerge". Next Reality. https://meta.reality.news/news/meta-reaches-settlement-as-patent-infringement-claims-emerge-0179588/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ Tommy Palladino (2017-11-14). "After Meta Lawsuit Settlement, Dreamworld to Open Pre-Orders for AR Headset". Next Reality. https://meta.reality.news/news/after-meta-lawsuit-settlement-dreamworld-open-pre-orders-for-ar-headset-0181156/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Husain Sumra (2018-06-06). "DreamWorld's 2.5K DreamGlass is the most affordable AR headset yet". Wareable. https://www.wareable.com/ar/dreamworld-dreamglass-release-date-specs-price-2018. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ Skarredghost (2018-06-14). "DreamGlass is an interesting Augmented Reality glass that costs only $399". The Ghost Howls. https://skarredghost.com/2018/06/14/dreamglass-is-an-interesting-augmented-reality-glass-that-costs-only-399/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ Adario Strange (2018-12-21). "The 5 Most Innovative Augmented Reality Products of 2018". Next Reality. https://next.reality.news/news/5-most-innovative-augmented-reality-products-2018-0191693/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ "DreamGlass 4K - Portable & Private Augmented Reality Glasses Launched". PR Newswire. Dreamworld AR. 2020-07-14. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dreamglass-4k---portable--private-augmented-reality-glasses-launched-301092973.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.