FORMER MICROSOFT EXECUTIVES UNVEIL AUGMENTED REALITY HEADSET, FORM STRATEGIC ALLIANCE WITH TEAMVIEWER.
Almer, a startup specializing in augmented reality, has introduced its latest headset, Arc 2, and formed a strategic alliance with TeamViewer to broaden its reach and provide TeamViewer with a distinctive chance to support an unexplored industrial market.
Renowned for its remote IT support, TeamViewer signals a shift towards augmented reality (AR) through this collaboration with Almer, a startup making waves in the AR landscape.
This development follows closely on the heels of Apple’s foray into the AR market with the imminent launch of its Vision Pro headset.
image Source: Google Search Engine
The Almer Arc headset facilitates collaboration with remote individuals, creating a sense of physical presence and enhancing the wearer’s environment with pertinent information to identify real-world objects.
Almer is not only introducing the Arc 2 headset, featuring a 25MP camera, beamforming microphones, built-in speakers, and a holographic see-through screen with an 8-hour battery life but also positioning it as a lightweight alternative at just 138 grams, four times lighter than Apple’s Vision Pro. The Arc 2’s transparent display allows its application in dynamic and mission-critical tasks, distinguishing it from the static interior-oriented Vision Pro.
image source: Google Search Engine
The partnership with TeamViewer is expected to empower the company to explore untapped opportunities within industrial sectors, while Almer foresees scalability and accelerated adoption of AR technology.
Mei Dent, Chief Product & Technology Officer at TeamViewer, underscores the potential for efficiency gains in frontline work through digital tools and connecting the global workforce to backend systems. The joint offering with Almer is positioned to accelerate digitalization efforts for companies.
Almer, founded in 2021 by Sebastian Beetschen and Timon Binder, seeks to redefine AR devices, moving beyond bulky apparatus. The Almer Arc headset, inspired by Sebastian’s experience with Hololens 2 at Microsoft Research and Timon’s background as a former jet fighter pilot, offers a compact, comfortable, and affordable AR solution.
Sebastian Beetschen, CEO, and co-founder of Almer envisions the Arc headset akin to a jet fighter visor, mounted directly in front of the eyes. Almer has garnered 21 customers, including Switzerland’s largest defense contractor and international machine manufacturers.
Venture-backed with $7.6 million raised to date, Almer boasts a team comprising top talent from computer vision and microtechnology fields, originating from esteemed Swiss institutes ETH and EPFL.
With the global augmented reality market projected to surge from $62.75 billion in 2023 to $1.1 trillion by 2030, Almer aims to initially focus on the Swiss industry before expanding into the DACH region and subsequently globally.
Sebastian Beetschen emphasizes “the substantial cost-saving potential of AR in servicing machines, particularly within the DACH region, estimating savings of £7.9 billion annually for the top 10 tooling-machine manufacturers. The opportunities in the AR market appear promising and substantial for Almer.”
News Source: Techeconomy
