Robert Kalin, co-founder and former CEO of online marketplace Etsy, is reportedly building a hand-held, magnifying glass-like XR device.
As discovered by Low Pass, Kalin’s new startup Dopple Works is developing a mixed reality device reportedly called ‘Loop’. An application for the device just passed through the FCC, which could mean it’s nearing release.
As FCC applications typical go, details have been heavily redacted, noting only that Loop is “a portable, battery-powered device that has Wifi and Bluetooth connectivity as well as NFC functionality,” Low Pass reports, additionally noting Loop is rated IP65 for dust and light water exposure.
There’s no telling what the alleged device looks like presently, however a patent from Dopple Works was published for a ‘Dedicated hand-held spatial computing device’, which included a number of images alongside some standard boiler plate of intended use cases.
Notably, it appears the device could rest in a dedicated cradle in the upright position, possibly suggesting it’s the main recharging method.
Additionally, the patent illustrates there may include a number of features, including a 6DOF tracking sensor, microphone, camera, speaker, and possibly also eye-tracking.
It’s uncertain whether the user would hold the device up to their eye, like a monocle, or farther away from them like a magnifying glass, as no mention of lens is made.
As for content, the patent covers nearly everything you’d expect, from games to educational use cases, with the latter being the most likely target. A trademark application filed by Dopple Works describes the company as creating an ‘electronic learning toy’.
As discovered by Low Pass, Dopple Works’ is made up of several former engineers who worked on social VR platforms Mozilla Hubs and AltspaceVR, both of which are now defunct. Dopple Works CTO Geoff Chatterton was previously Head of Hardware at Paypal before joining the company; Chatterton also previously worked at Apple, Dell and smartwatch startup Wimm Labs, which was acquired by Google in 2013.
That said, creating a magnifying glass-style device without a lens like a standard XR headset has some unique benefits, but also its fair share of drawbacks. It could allow kids of any age to interact with mixed reality without worry of a headset not correctly fitting. Its simple design could also encourage casual play sessions.
On the other hand, if Loop is a ‘magic window’ of sorts meant to be held away from the user’s eye, it could be pretty similar to the type of augmented reality experiences you can already have on a smartphone—making content the device’s key differentiator.
