Low-Power Wireless on AR/VR Smart Entertainment Devices

The real and digital worlds are becoming more intertwined as consumers, enterprises, and industries discover the benefits of augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR) technologies. Today, AR/VR technologies are associated with virtual games, entertainment, education, engineering, design, and healthcare, but in the future AR/VR is well-positioned to save time, effort, and resources in any business sector.

Consumer Benefits of AR/VR Technology

The potential benefits of AR/VR vary depending on the primary purpose and functionality of the device. The following applications are a few of many that are presenting opportunities for device developers right now:

• Health and Fitness – Health-conscious consumers can work out from the comfort of their own homes
• Engineering – Designers can develop prototypes to validate product specifications before physical prototyping
• Training Applications – Surgeons, military personnel, drivers, and pilots can participate in simulated situations that are difficult to replicate in a traditional training environments
• Gaming – Users can achieve a fully immersive gaming experience

AR/VR technologies cannot deliver the experience users are looking for without high-performance wireless connectivity. To meet growing interest and demand, Silicon Labs has expanded our portfolio of secure, ultra-low-power wireless solutions for smart entertainment.

Here, we’ll review the basics of AR/VR and where we’re seeing opportunities in smart entertainment.

Types of AR/VR-Enabled Entertainment Devices

There are many innovative technologies in the smart entertainment space. Most AR/VR devices fall into one of two categories: connected headsets or AR/VR peripheral devices.

Connected Headsets - Head mounted displays (HMDs) are growing in popularity year-over-year. They display information and content superimposed over a real-world view (i.e., AR), computer-generated images (i.e., VR), or a mix of both (i.e., MR).

AR devices enhance the real-world experience by adding a layer of virtual information on top of it. They relay perceptual information like visuals, sounds, and sensations to the user via smartphone and/or HMD.

VR devices provide a completely immersive experience in a virtual environment. These virtual worlds are wholly artificial and are sometimes designed to be larger than life. The major VR device categories are tethered VR (i.e., wired), standalone VR (i.e., wireless), and smartphone VR (i.e., mobile phone). MR devices combine information from both real and virtual worlds through occlusion. MR devices scan the real environment and place digital information into it, allowing the user to interact with virtual objects.

AR/VR Peripheral Devices - The vast possibilities in AR/VR have created a new market for control and support devices, including cyber shoes, controller grips, VR guns, gloves, chairs, and treadmills. These peripheral devices interact with HMDs through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or other proprietary connectivity methods. They need reliable, low power, and low latency wireless connectivity to deliver users the sensation of natural movements and controls in virtual spaces.

AR/VR Devices in Smart Entertainment

Smart entertainment devices enable users to connect, control, and interact with virtual environments—allowing us to experience a different reality from the comfort of our own homes. Moreover, these devices can augment real-world experiences. For example, users can model new clothes, glasses, etc. without going to the store.

Silicon Labs Solutions for Smart Entertainment

Silicon Labs offers a selection of wireless solutions that champion reliable, ultra-low-energy connectivity with the most advanced IoT security. Our Wi-Fi and Bluetooth solutions are designed with extended battery life in mind, and coupled with seamless SDK integration, we have the tools to help developers launch AR/VR devices in smart entertainment.Learn more about our wireless solutions and development kits for AR/VR smart entertainment devices.