When covering AR, a number of technology pundits have assumed that within the next few years, we can expect head mounted displays or augmented reality “glasses” to become the best display for AR applications. Without a doubt, it would be groundbreaking if a high quality AR display could be built into the form factor of sunglasses. Unfortunately, a lightweight, wide field of view, daylight readable, head mounted display (HMD) at mass market prices is not something we can expect to see in the next five years. I have either bought or used most head mounted displays sold commercially since 1992, and I have seen great strides over the years in HMD resolution, brightness, and power usage. To illustrate where the technology now stands, here are the best that I have used.
