By now, you’ll have seen the leaked photo of Magic Leap hardware that Business Insider claimed was a “working prototype” of the Google-backed AR device. Shortly after the photo was published, however, Magic Leap founder and CEO Rony Abovitz has come out on Twitter saying that the photo was one of an “R&D test rig.”
Does that mean this is not an authentic photo of what we can expect Magic Leap to release to the public? Not really. The photo is authentic, but it’s not the working prototype that BI claimed it was.
According to Abovitz, the device in the photo is used to collect data about the room or space, data required for the machine learning and machine vision program to render the real-world environment on top of which virtual components can be overlaid. As Abovitz explains, “We do this in order to understand lighting, texture, various surfaces.”
It’s clear that there are still concerns around whether or not Magic Leap will actually be able to deliver a product to a waiting user base. In December, The Information brought up some valid points regarding the readiness of the product for a commercial release. Abovitz now attempts to assuage doubts by telling fans of Magic Leap that the team will not let them down.
As it stands, nobody outside the core Magic Leap team really knows what the product will look like or what stage it’s at in its development. For his part, Abovitz has indicated that the company is prepared to finish its work and ship out the product.
But when?
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