Affordable AR Headsets

Leap Motion's Project Northstar is a new and ambitious project that hopes to bring an immersive AR experience to the masses for an extremely low cost. As of now, the project is still in development, but early estimates from Leap Motion have the headset coming in at just $100 at large-scale production. This low-cost is not set to affect any technical features of the headset, as Project Northstar will feature "two ultra-bright, low-persistence" displays with 1,600 x 1,440 resolution and running at 120 frames per second. The headset will also feature Leap Motions tracking innovations which will allow users to reach out and touch virtual objects.

This innovation sounds like an amazing venture for Leap Motion, but it is important to remember that the company does not make or sell headsets. Instead, the company will be releasing the necessary hardware specifications and software under an open source license in the hopes that other companies will utilize it to create affordable AR headsets. Leap Motion has estimated that Project Northstar will only cost $100, but because it will not be developing the system, the final price is unclear and open to the manufacturer.