Golden-i VR offers PC remote control

Full-face VR kit is giving way to near-eye gear like Kopin's new Golden-i concept
Full-face VR kit is giving way to near-eye gear like Kopin's new Golden-i concept

Micro-display company Kopin today launched its Golden-i concept device, a head-mounted Bluetooth device with a "15-inch" virtual PC display and natural language voice recognition.

The Windows CE 6-powered Golden-i lets users command and control wireless devices, computers and networks, anywhere in the world, by voice alone.

After Golden-i establishes a Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or data link through a host device like a 3G phone, it can wake up a remote PC and display a user's desktop on its near-eye virtual display, offering full hands-free access to all PC applications, files and services.

Virtual reality, real control

Golden-i provides spontaneous access to all digital information, broadcast programming and internet services, including real-time, full-colour 720x480p streaming video at 30fps, over industry standard Bluetooth 2.0.

When work (or play) is finished, the PC can be placed in hibernation with a single spoken command. The speech recognition, provided by Nuance, provides "over 90 per cent proficiency" out of the box, with a learning function to improve that with regular use.

Golden-i is powered by TI's OMAP 3 processor with its superscalar 600 MHz ARM, a 10-million-polygon-per-second graphics accelerator and a high-performance POP (package-on-package) memory reaching several gigabytes. Kopin estimates a battery life of around eight hours on a single charge.

Golden-i will now undergo field testing with "several industrial and military organizations", with the aim of releasing final products in 2010.