Enabling The Hearing-Impaired To "See Sound" - Leion HEY AR Glasses Exploring New Scenarios

Compared to VR technology that creates virtual worlds, the blending of virtual and real characteristics of AR technology has been entrusted with the hopes of becoming the "next-generation computing platform" and "replacing smartphones." It is also a major goal that major tech companies at home and abroad are striving for.

From the B2B market to the consumer market, the AR market has been thriving in the past year. Many manufacturers are no longer solely focusing on deep cultivation in the B2B market, but are also extending their reach to the consumer market. Additionally, other companies, such as smartphone manufacturers and automotive enterprises, have joined the fray. According to data from Gyroscope Research Institute, 11 AR glasses were launched or listed in the first half of 2022, and the investment and financing scale in the AR sub-sector reached 6.88 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 16%.

Consumer-level AR products are gradually entering the public view, reigniting the market.

Breakthroughs in Multiple Scenarios

Exploring the AR Consumer Market

Compared to VR, the overall development stage of AR is earlier, due to the limitations of the underlying technology. Unlike the VR market, which has seen a certain standard in hardware form and interaction formation under the drive of "Quest 2," and a relatively clear direction of technical iteration, enabling a smooth transition to the consumer market, the technical difficulties in AR are more challenging to overcome. Not only has a relatively standardized product not yet formed, but the product form and usage scenarios are also flourishing, which means that the exploration of the consumer market for AR glasses has only just begun.

Looking at the current AR consumer market, while AR consumer products come in various forms, with both monocular and binocular configurations, they can be mainly divided into two categories of scenarios: the viewing scenario led by the BirdBath solution, and the information prompting scenario led by the waveguide solution.

For an ideal consumer-level AR product, the hope is usually for it to have a form factor as lightweight and thin as regular glasses, making it comfortable to wear for long periods, while also demanding excellent display quality, a wide field of view, and long battery life. Additionally, it requires powerful computing power to support rich and engaging content and spatial interaction features. The ideal is always abundant, but ultimately must succumb to the harsh realities.

The current underlying supply chain is far from able to provide the necessary support across all aspects required for an ideal AR glasses product. As a result, manufacturers have no choice but to explore suitable scenarios within the constraints of the existing technology. Therefore, whether it's a large corporation or a startup, they all recognize that AR products need to "simplify the complex," by entering through various niche scenarios.

Breakthroughs in the application scenarios will truly propel AR glasses as a product category towards the consumer market, and the flourishing market will, in turn, nurture the entire industry chain. It can be envisioned that, with the advancement of the underlying technology, the ultimate form of AR glasses will gradually take shape as a standardized product that can cover multiple common consumer scenarios, thereby achieving a breakthrough in consumer-level scale. However, that time is still far away.

Currently, from tech giants to startups, they are all exploring new consumer-oriented application scenarios, such as viewing media, information prompting, translation, swimming sports, and so on.

"Serve a segment well first, then serve everyone." Sotech also understands the development rule of AR going "from point to surface." They have chosen to enter the vertical scenario that few AR companies have ventured into, and have launched the world's first AR subtitle glasses designed for communication - LEION HEY.

"Seeing the unheard, hearing the unseen" -

the power of technology to reveal the world of sound.

Hearing is a crucial ability that allows us to capture information and perceive the world, and it is an important form of input for communication and interaction between people. However, for those with hearing impairments, this seemingly common mode of communication remains an elusive privilege.

Globally, according to the World Health Organization's World Hearing Report, over 1.5 billion people have some degree of hearing loss. Based on the results of the Second National Sample Survey on Disability in China, the current number of people with hearing disabilities in the country is close to 30 million, making it the largest disabled group. Estimates suggest that around 7.39 million of them have completely lost their hearing.

This clearly shows that the population of the hearing-impaired is quite substantial. Many face the dilemma of being unable to communicate accurately with others, often leading them to feel isolated from the flow of information. Helping the hearing-impaired rejoin mainstream social life and solving the communication challenges they face is of critical importance for the country's development and the liberation of productive forces.

As technology has advanced, the assistive devices available for the hearing-impaired have also been evolving and becoming more diverse. However, due to limitations such as high prices or inefficient communication, breakthrough innovations are still needed in communication tools.

As the consumer-level AR market enters a phase of rapid development, Leion, a leading domestic B2B AR product, recognized that the visual display of subtitle information could be a powerful tool to address the communication difficulties faced by the hearing-impaired. This was the original intention behind the creation of "Leion HEY."

Leion HEY is an AR subtitle glasses solution targeted at people with hearing impairments, the elderly with declining hearing, and those involved in cross-cultural communication. It not only enhances the information access capabilities of the hearing-impaired, but also strengthens their social connections.

Compared to other hearing assistance devices, Leion HEY has increased the visual information acquisition by 40% for its target users. It has also led to significant improvements in their self-confidence, competence, team participation, and social integration.

From product design to component selection to feature definition, Leion HEY has been developed with the needs of the hearing-impaired user in mind. As a more effective communication tool, it helps to bridge the "communication gap" between the hearing-impaired and the general population.

The key focus on the specific pain points and requirements of the hearing-impaired community has been central to Leion HEY's development. By putting their needs first and designing a purpose-built solution, the product is able to deliver meaningful and measurable improvements in the daily lives and social inclusion of this underserved user group.

This user-centric approach, combined with the capabilities of AR technology, positions Leion HEY as an innovative and impactful assistive device that can enhance the communication experiences and quality of life for millions of people with hearing disabilities.

For people with hearing impairments, external devices are required to be worn and used for the long term, so battery life and weight are the two most critical indicators.

Leion HEY adopts a wireless all-in-one design, and uses advanced ULTEM resin material for the frame (which is even lighter than carbon fiber), with a total weight of only 79g, making it one of the lightest wireless binocular waveguide AR glasses available. This meets the needs of users who need to wear it for extended periods without causing excessive facial burden. Additionally, it has a super-long 5-day standby battery life and 2 hours of full-support, enabling "charge-as-you-go" convenience.

When hearing ability declines, visual information undoubtedly becomes more important. In contrast to the consumer-grade AR glasses on the market that commonly use the BirdBath optical solution, Leion HEY adopts the self-developed binocular fusion array waveguide technology from Bright Vision.

It is reported that Bright Vision's self-developed binocular waveguide technology has characteristics such as 85% high transmittance, 0 light leakage, 1500nits high eye-facing brightness, and high-precision binocular fusion. This allows Leion HEY to not only excel at text display, but also meet comprehensive needs in terms of safety, face-to-face communication, and eye protection.

Furthermore, Leion HEY uses standard frame specifications, allowing users with different vision problems to have their glasses fitted at any major optical shop.

Converting speech to text is the core function of AR subtitle glasses.

On the input side, Leion HEY utilizes a high-performance multi-microphone array module and noise reduction module, not seen even in high-end smartphones. This allows for precise audio capture, with microphone sensitivity reaching up to -36dB and a dynamic range of an exceptional 132dB. It also supports a full 20~20KHz frequency response, ensuring that users' social interactions are not affected even in noisy environments.

Leion HEY is also equipped with precise, high-speed speech recognition algorithms, transcription algorithms, smart correction algorithms, and noise reduction algorithms. This enables sub-millisecond transcription, ensuring that information is conveyed quickly and accurately. The algorithms also support intelligent sentence segmentation, automatically breaking down long utterances based on the speaker's tone and context, creating a more user-friendly reading experience.

Furthermore, to enhance the product's user-friendly design, Leion HEY also features two customizable functions: keyword wake-up and environmental sound visualization. By setting a keyword, the Leion HEY screen will blink to alert the user when the keyword is recognized. The environmental sound visualization feature can change the rhythm and frequency effects displayed on the glasses based on the volume, rhythm, and frequency of the surrounding sounds.

These functions are all aimed at improving the user experience and significantly reducing communication barriers for those in need. This demonstrates that Leion HEY is not only an exploration in the realm of technology for good, but also an "engine" for advancing accessibility and driving the next generation of human-computer interaction.

By conveying the warmth of technology, Leion HEY fulfills its mission.

When the spoken information is presented visually in front of the user, they no longer need to look down at their phone. Instead, they can engage in face-to-face communication and conversation, where the transmission of expressions and gestures can facilitate more understandable and efficient dialogue. This can also improve the inner world of those with hearing impairments, allowing them to be more proactive in interacting with others and with society.

The warmth of technology is well-demonstrated in Leion HEY.The launch of Leion HEY not only holds great value for the hearing-impaired population, but also represents a strategic upgrade for Bright Vision, a breakthrough from the B2B to the B2C market.