Vuzix M300
More actions
| Vuzix M300 | |
|---|---|
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Augmented Reality |
| Type | Smart Glasses |
| Subtype | Enterprise AR |
| Platform | Android |
| Developer | Vuzix |
| Manufacturer | Vuzix |
| Announcement Date | January 2016 (shown at CES 2016)[1] |
| Release Date | Initial units to partners from 30 June 2016; volume production from February 2017[2][3] |
| Price | US$1,499 (2016 retail price); M300XL US$1,499.99 (December 2018)[4][5] |
| Versions | M300; M300XL (December 2018) |
| Predecessor | Vuzix M100 |
| Successor | Vuzix M400 |
| System | |
| Operating System | Android 6.0 |
| CPU | Dual-core Intel Atom[6] |
| Storage | |
| Storage | 64 GB internal flash[6] |
| Memory | 2 GB[6] |
| Display | |
| Display | nHD color display, 16:9, 24-bit color, brightness above 2000 nits (manufacturer specification)[6] |
| Image | |
| Field of View | 16.7 degrees diagonal (manufacturer specification)[6] |
| Optics | |
| Ocularity | Monocular; left or right eye[6] |
| Tracking | |
| Tracking | 3DoF head tracking[6] |
| Audio | |
| Audio | Ear speaker[6] |
| Microphone | Dual noise-canceling microphones[6] |
| Camera | Up to 10 MP stills, up to 1080p video, autofocus, optical image stabilization, flash (2017 specification)[6] |
| Connectivity | |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.1/2.1+EDR, micro-USB 2.0[6] |
| Ports | Micro-USB 2.0 HS[6] |
| Battery Capacity | 160 mAh internal; 860 mAh external smart battery[6] |
| Battery Life | 2-12 hours depending on external battery (manufacturer specification)[6] |
| Device | |
| Sensors | 3-axis gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer; inward proximity sensor; outward proximity and ambient light sensor[6] |
| Input | Control buttons, two-axis touchpad, voice control[6] |
The Vuzix M300 is a monocular smart glasses device for enterprise use, made by Vuzix. It is an Android wearable computer with a small display module that sits in front of one eye, a camera, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and button, touchpad and voice controls.[7][6] Vuzix described it as the successor to its earlier M100 smart glasses, with an Intel Atom processor, Android 6.0, hot-swappable batteries and a ruggedized design for industrial use.[4]
Vuzix showed the M300 at CES in January 2016, opened pre-orders at US$1,499 in February 2016 and shipped the first units to selected partners in June 2016.[1][4][2] According to the company's annual report, the M300 entered volume production in February 2017.[3] An updated model, the M300XL, became commercially available in December 2018 with a new camera and standard USB connectors.[5] Vuzix decided to end production of the M300 and M300XL after it introduced the Vuzix M400 in 2019, and it later ended sales and marketing of the M300 series.[8][9]
History
Announcement and pre-orders
Vuzix had the new M300 Smart Glasses in its booth at CES 2016, alongside the M3000, a waveguide-based model that received a CES 2016 Innovation award.[1] On 12 January 2016 the company announced that it would take pre-orders from 1 February 2016 and expected commercial shipments in summer 2016. Vuzix said the design came from more than two years of customer feedback on the M100.[10]
On 2 February 2016 Vuzix announced that its pre-order programs had opened. Under the "M100/M300 Migration Package", a customer paid the M300's US$1,499 retail price, received an M100 at once and could exchange it for an M300 when the new model shipped. A separate program reserved early M300 units for a US$499 deposit.[4] Vuzix's product page at the time said a customer could keep the M100 as well for an extra US$500.[11]
On 31 March 2016 Vuzix began shipping alpha copies of an M300 software development kit (SDK). Developers paid US$499, credited against a later M300 purchase, and could test apps in an Android emulator configured as an M300.[12]
Partner shipments and certification
On 30 June 2016 Vuzix said it had begun shipping the first M300 units to invited partners in its VIP program, a group of M100 software developers, system integrators and infrastructure partners. NTT DOCOMO and NS Solutions were named as two of the first recipients.[2] In August 2016 Vuzix announced that its M100 and M300 would be key components of DHL's global AR program, as DHL Supply Chain expanded vision-picking pilots that had earlier used Ubimax's vision-picking software on the M100.[13]
In November 2016 Vuzix said the M300 was in the final stage of regulatory testing and was being built by a contract manufacturer in California. The same release said the M300 had won Compass Intelligence's Enterprise Wearable Device of the Year award.[14] On 13 January 2017 the company announced that it had filed with the US Federal Communications Commission after completing the emissions requirements. It said European certification had been completed the month before and that shipments to customers in the United States and Canada would begin within days.[15]
Volume production
Vuzix's annual report for 2016 states that the M300 entered volume production in February 2017.[3] In July 2017 Vuzix announced that it had moved M300 volume production from its contract manufacturer's plant in the United States to the same manufacturer's operations in China, a transition that began in the middle of the second quarter of 2017. Vuzix expected the move to cut the product's cost by about 33 percent. Its chief executive also cited the recent rollout of OS 1.2 firmware and the introduction of a full M300 accessory line.[16] In its 2017 annual report, Vuzix said the M300's volume production release was the main cause of a 168 percent increase in its smart glasses sales that year, and that M300 sales rose 495 percent over 2016, when the model had only early developer sales. The report also recorded obsolescence provisions for cable and component quality problems and for low initial production yields of the M300 and its accessories, mostly in the first half of 2017.[17]
By November 2017 Vuzix reported more than 350 M300 pilot programs and shipments to 45 countries.[18]
Toshiba derivative
In February 2017 Vuzix signed a development agreement with Toshiba for customized Windows-based AR smart glasses with a USB Type-C connection, which the company describes as a derivative of the M300.[17][19] A three-year supply agreement with Toshiba Information Equipment (Hangzhou) followed in December 2017. It gave Toshiba exclusivity for up to 12 months, subject to at least US$5,000,000 in purchase orders.[20] Mass production began in March 2018. The co-branded product, the Toshiba dynaEdge AR100 "Powered by Vuzix", connects by USB Type-C cable to Toshiba's dynaEdge DE100 mobile mini PC, which can be worn on a belt and comes with Toshiba's Windows 10-based Vision DE Suite remote support application.[19] Vuzix's 2017 annual report calls the AR100 its first co-branded product.[17]
M300XL
Vuzix announced commercial availability of the M300XL on 4 December 2018, after units had already been placed with selected channel partners and customers. It runs the same Android software as the other M-Series devices, so existing M-Series apps can be installed on it. Compared with the M300, Vuzix listed upgraded 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, better battery shelf life when the device is stored, standard USB sockets in place of the M300's proprietary "pogo-pin" connectors, and a new camera with improved autofocus and image stabilization. Vuzix said barcodes could be scanned in about one second, two to three times faster than with its earlier smart glasses, and that a telephoto lens add-on was available for long-range scanning.[5]
The M300XL was priced at US$1,499.99, the same as the M300. The original M300 was reduced to US$999.99 with the new camera, in limited quantities, and Vuzix said all future production would be M300XL units.[5]
End of production
In May 2019 Vuzix launched an early adopter program for the Vuzix M400 at US$1,799.99. The bundle included an M300XL for immediate delivery and an M400 to ship later in 2019.[21] Vuzix's 2019 annual report lists a 33 percent cut in the M300XL's standalone retail price from summer 2019. It also says Vuzix wrote down its M300 and M300XL component inventory after deciding to end production of both models, because they were at a "disadvantaged selling position" against the M400.[8] In 2020 Vuzix disposed of raw components after discontinuing production of the original M300 and recorded an inventory reserve for half of its M300XL finished goods and all of its M300XL component parts.[22] Its 2021 annual report records the disposal of finished goods after Vuzix ended sales and marketing of the M300 series products.[9]
Design and hardware
The M300 consists of a main unit containing the display, a hot-swap battery module and a glasses frame. Both modules slide onto mounting rails on the frame. The main unit can be fitted on either side, and the display rotates its image automatically for the left or right eye. The main unit and battery can be moved forward or backward along the rails, and the display can be adjusted on two axes; the manual recommends placing it about 1 inch (25 mm) in front of the user's dominant eye. The frame can be worn over most prescription glasses. Vuzix also sold safety frames, a headband and safety helmet mounts.[7][6]
The hot-swap battery module holds the primary battery, and a standby battery in the main unit keeps the device running while the module is changed. Charging both together requires a USB power source of at least 1.5 A and may take up to two hours. Vuzix warns that the device draws a small amount of power while switched off if the two units remain connected by the power cable.[7]
Vuzix's published specifications changed between the pre-order period and production. The February 2016 product page listed a 20 degree field of view, a 13 megapixel camera and a 100 mAh internal battery, while the December 2017 page listed 16.7 degrees, up to 10 megapixel stills and a 160 mAh internal battery with an 860 mAh external battery.[11][6]
| Specification | M300, February 2016 (pre-order) | M300, December 2017 | M300XL, December 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | nHD color, 16:9, 24-bit, above 2000 nits[11] | nHD color, 16:9, 24-bit, above 2000 nits[6] | nHD color, 16:9, 24-bit, above 2000 nits[23] |
| Field of view (diagonal) | 20 degrees, described as a 5 inch screen seen at 14 inches[11] | 16.7 degrees, described as a 5 inch screen seen at 17 inches[6] | 16.7 degrees[23] |
| Processor | Intel Atom[11] | Dual-core Intel Atom[6] | Dual-core Intel Atom[23] |
| Memory and storage | 2 GB RAM, 64 GB flash[11] | 2 GB RAM, 64 GB flash[6] | 2 GB RAM, 64 GB flash[23] |
| Operating system | Android 6.0[11] | Android 6[6] | Android 6[23] |
| Camera | 13 MP stills, 1080p video, image-stabilized autofocus, flash[11] | Up to 10 MP stills, up to 1080p video, autofocus, optical image stabilization, flash[6] | New 16 MP camera according to the launch press release and the product page's feature text; the same page's specification list gives up to 10 MP stills, up to 1080p video and autofocus with about a one-second response[5][23] |
| Battery | 100 mAh internal; external packs up to 5000 mAh; 2-12 hours[11] | 160 mAh internal; 860 mAh external; 2-12 hours[6] | 160 mAh internal; 860 mAh external; 2-12 hours[23] |
| Connectivity | Micro-USB 2.0, dual-band Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac with 2x2 MIMO, Bluetooth 4.1/2.1+EDR[11] | Micro-USB 2.0, dual-band Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1/2.1+EDR[6] | Micro-USB 2.0, dual-band Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1/2.1+EDR; USB port for an external Wi-Fi adapter[23] |
| Sensors | 3-axis gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer; GPS[11] | 3-axis gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer; proximity and ambient light sensors[6] | 3-axis gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer; proximity and ambient light sensors[23] |
| Audio | Ear speaker, dual noise-canceling microphones[11] | Ear speaker, dual noise-canceling microphones[6] | Ear speaker, dual noise-canceling microphones[23] |
The head tracker provides 3DoF orientation from its gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer.[6] The early product page also lists GPS, and PCMag's 2017 hands-on report mentions built-in GPS that let the glasses report the user's location and viewing direction to a companion app.[11][24]
Software and features
The M300 runs Android 6.0. Its user manual describes it as providing most of the features of an Android smartphone, without cellular connectivity.[7][4] Apps open from a carousel-style launcher with "All Apps", "Recently Used" and "Favorites" screens. They can be installed from the Vuzix App Store, which pushes them to the device over the air, through a file manager, or with ADB. Pre-installed apps include a barcode and QR code scanner, camera, gallery, browser and settings, and system updates can be installed over the air or offline.[7]
The manual describes three navigation methods: tactile buttons with short and long presses, a touchpad on the side of the main unit (swipes to move, a double-tap to select) and voice commands. Speech recognition is off by default. Once it is enabled, the keyword "Hello Vuzix" starts the listener, which by default waits 10 seconds for commands such as "go home", "go back" or "flashlight on". Developers can add their own voice commands through the M300 Speech SDK.[7] Vuzix's 2016 product page also listed an M300 manager app for paired Android and iOS phones.[11]
Enterprise use
Vuzix aimed the M300 at enterprise workflows such as industrial, medical, retail, supply chain and remote help desk work, with the camera usable as a barcode scanner.[6] In its January 2017 FCC announcement, Vuzix said its first production units would go to VIP software partners in Europe and the United States that had units allocated for their existing clients.[15] In July 2017 Vuzix and Ubimax announced a vision-picking deployment at John Deere's machinery plant in Mannheim, Germany. M300 glasses running Ubimax's xPick software replaced paper instructions and a handheld scanner in a kitting process for a mixed-model tractor assembly line. According to the announcement, the project went from concept to implementation in three months, and John Deere's head of factory logistics said the plant's targets were met after two weeks in production.[25]
Research
A 2018 pilot study in Advances in Production Engineering & Management by researchers from the University of Maribor and the Healthcare Center dr. Adolfa Drolca Maribor tested the M300 during order picking in a test warehouse at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Maribor, Slovenia. Fourteen people, mostly students, used the glasses for four hours and had visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, visual field and color tests before and after. All participants wore the display in front of the right eye. Mean visual acuity fell by 7.6 percent in the right eye and by 6.7 percent in the left eye; the authors found both changes statistically significant. Changes in contrast sensitivity and color vision were not statistically significant. Before the test no participant had a scotoma in the right eye; afterwards a threshold visual field test found scotomas in six participants (43 percent), while a faster driver's license visual field test found them in 14 percent of cases. The authors described the work as a pilot with a small sample and a single before-and-after measurement, noted that perimetry is affected by the subject's concentration, and called for larger studies before smart glasses become everyday warehouse equipment.[26]
Reception
PCMag's Rob Marvin tried the M300 and M3000 at Mobile World Congress in February 2017. He described the M300 as a ruggedized, business-focused design, "like a more mature, business-focused cousin to Google Glass", with nose guards that gave it the feel of regular glasses. He wrote that wearing each of the two Vuzix models felt like "a more natural, lightweight extension of practical AR than strapping into a HoloLens". Lance Anderson, Vuzix's vice president of enterprise sales, told PCMag that the M300 and M3000 were certified by mobile device management vendors, and the article noted Vuzix's existing partnerships with VMware AirWatch and SOTI MobiControl.[24]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Vuzix Showcases Future of Smart Glasses and Augmented and Virtual Reality at CES 2016". PR Newswire. Vuzix Corporation. 2016-01-05. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vuzix-showcases-future-of-smart-glasses-and-augmented-and-virtual-reality-at-ces-2016-300199295.html. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Vuzix Ships First M300 Smart Glasses to Select VIP Partners". PR Newswire. Vuzix Corporation. 2016-06-30. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vuzix-ships-first-m300-smart-glasses-to-select-vip-partners-300292663.html. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Vuzix Corporation Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Vuzix Corporation. 2017-03-16. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1463972/000114420417015161/v461282_10k.htm. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "Vuzix Commences M300 Smart Glasses Pre-Order Program". PR Newswire. Vuzix Corporation. 2016-02-02. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vuzix-commences-m300-smart-glasses-pre-order-program-300213590.html. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "Vuzix Announces Commercial Availability of the M300XL Smart Glasses for Enterprise". PR Newswire. Vuzix Corporation. 2018-12-04. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vuzix-announces-commercial-availability-of-the-m300xl-smart-glasses-for-enterprise-300760131.html. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 6.18 6.19 6.20 6.21 6.22 6.23 6.24 6.25 6.26 6.27 6.28 6.29 6.30 "M300 Smart Glasses". Vuzix (archived 27 December 2017). Vuzix Corporation. https://web.archive.org/web/20171227202557/https://www.vuzix.com/Products/m300-smart-glasses. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 "M300 Smart Glasses User Manual, Version 1.0 (part number 446PB0005-01)". Vuzix (archived copy). Vuzix Corporation. https://web.archive.org/web/20220719143605/http://files.vuzix.com/Content/Upload/M300%20User%20Manual%20446PB0005-01.pdf. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Vuzix Corporation Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Vuzix Corporation. 2020-03-16. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1463972/000110465920033613/tm205290-1_10k.htm. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Vuzix Corporation Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Vuzix Corporation. 2022-03-02. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1463972/000155837022002641/vuzi-20211231x10k.htm. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ "Vuzix to Launch M300 Next Generation Smart Glasses Pre-Order Program on February 1st". PR Newswire. Vuzix Corporation. 2016-01-12. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vuzix-to-launch-m300-next-generation-smart-glasses-pre-order-program-on-february-1st-300202899.html. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 11.11 11.12 11.13 "M300 Smart Glasses". Vuzix (archived 4 February 2016). Vuzix Corporation. https://web.archive.org/web/20160204190215/https://www.vuzix.com/Products/m300-smart-glasses. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ "Vuzix Launches App Development Kit for M300 Smart Glasses". PR Newswire. Vuzix Corporation. 2016-03-31. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vuzix-launches-app-development-kit-for-m300-smart-glasses-300243978.html. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ "Vuzix Smart Glasses Will be Key Component of DHL Global Augmented Reality Program". PR Newswire. Vuzix Corporation. 2016-08-31. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vuzix-smart-glasses-will-be-key-component-of-dhl-global-augmented-reality-program-300320761.html. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ "Vuzix Next Generation M300 Smart Glasses Nears Final Regulatory Approvals to Allow Volume Shipments to Commence in November". PR Newswire. Vuzix Corporation. 2016-11-07. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vuzix-next-generation-m300-smart-glasses-nears-final-regulatory-approvals-to-allow-volume-shipments-to-commence-in-november-300358577.html. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Vuzix Completes FCC Certification Process for M300 Smart Glasses". PR Newswire. Vuzix Corporation. 2017-01-13. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vuzix-completes-fcc-certification-process-for-m300-smart-glasses-300390761.html. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ "Vuzix Completes Transition to Higher Volume Manufacturing Facilities". PR Newswire. Vuzix Corporation. 2017-07-18. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vuzix-completes-transition-to-higher-volume-manufacturing-facilities-300489945.html. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 "Vuzix Corporation Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Vuzix Corporation. 2018-03-16. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1463972/000114420418015310/tv488149_10k.htm. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ "Vuzix M300 Programs Top 350 as Global Reach Expands Across 45 Countries Worldwide and Commercial Volume Deployments Gain Steam". PR Newswire. Vuzix Corporation. 2017-11-08. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vuzix-m300-programs-top-350-as-global-reach-expands-across-45-countries-worldwide-and-commercial-volume-deployments-gain-steam-300552218.html. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Vuzix Begins Mass Production of the World's First Windows-based Smart Glasses for Toshiba". PR Newswire. Vuzix Corporation. 2018-03-12. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vuzix-begins-mass-production-of-the-worlds-first-windows-based-smart-glasses-for-toshiba-300612269.html. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ "Vuzix Signs 3 Year Supply Agreement with Toshiba for Custom M300 Smart Glasses Solution". PR Newswire. Vuzix Corporation. 2017-12-07. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vuzix-signs-3-year-supply-agreement-with-toshiba-for-custom-m300-smart-glasses-solution-300568484.html. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ "Vuzix Announces Early Adopters Program for the 'Best in Class' Enterprise M400 Smart Glasses". PR Newswire. Vuzix Corporation. 2019-05-30. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vuzix-announces-early-adopters-program-for-the-best-in-class-enterprise-m400-smart-glasses-300859054.html. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ "Vuzix Corporation Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Vuzix Corporation. 2021-03-15. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1463972/000155837021003001/vuzi-20201231x10k.htm. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 23.00 23.01 23.02 23.03 23.04 23.05 23.06 23.07 23.08 23.09 "Vuzix M300XL Augmented Reality (AR) Smart Glasses". Vuzix (archived 26 December 2018). Vuzix Corporation. https://web.archive.org/web/20181226033144/https://www.vuzix.com/Products/m300xl-smart-glasses. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Rob Marvin (2017-02-28). "Hands On: Vuzix's No-Nonsense AR Smart Glasses". PCMag. https://www.pcmag.com/news/hands-on-vuzixs-no-nonsense-ar-smart-glasses. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ "Vuzix Teams with Ubimax to Deliver a Hands-Free M300 Smart Glasses Picking Solution to John Deere". PR Newswire. Vuzix Corporation. 2017-07-20. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vuzix-teams-with-ubimax-to-deliver-a-hands-free-m300-smart-glasses-picking-solution-to-john-deere-300491553.html. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ N. Vujica Herzog, B. Buchmeister, A. Beharic, B. Gajsek (2018-12). "Visual and optometric issues with smart glasses in Industry 4.0 working environment". Advances in Production Engineering & Management, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 417-428. https://doi.org/10.14743/apem2018.4.300. Retrieved 2026-10-15.