Bundle Up: Why Is the Meta 2 AR Headset Being Resold by Dell?

Computer hardware giant Dell has been making headlines recently because of speculation about a potential acquisition of the legacy PC maker by VMWare, which is a publicly traded company that Dell owns an 80 percent stake in. This unusual deal would allow Dell to go public, and has speculators frothing at the mouth.

But besides notional reports regarding the nature of the company’s future, an unusual announcement came to light that put Dell square in the augmented reality spotlight just a few days ago:

The Meta 2 augmented reality (AR) development kit will be resold by Dell for USD$1495.

Gary Radburn, Dell’s director of virtual reality (VR) and AR, helped shed some light on the events that led to this unique collaboration between Meta and Dell, and how it would lead to the development of some dynamic enterprise and industrial applications.

The Meta 2 AR headset is gaining more traction after receiving a $50 million Series B round in June of 2017. Meta also received criticism for production and manufacturing delays to fill back orders since it began taking them two years ago. The new partnership increases visibility for Meta and will make Dell the first reseller of the company’s flagship product, the Meta 2. Dell will begin selling Meta 2 AR kits on February 15th on Dell.com. (Image courtesy of Meta Company.)

According to Radburn, as part of Dell’s VR/AR Technology Partner Program, this offering gives enterprise customers, including those in the AEC and manufacturing sectors, a chance to create new killer applications for the headset. Bradburn says the possibilities for training workers to use industrial controllers, helping teams collaborate on shared digital prototype 3D models, sending designs to distributed teams, and superimposing changes on construction jobsites in AR are all in the works.

The main point of the partnership is to get the Meta 2 AR Development Kit to as many enterprise and industrial customers in Dell’s expansive network as possible, giving developers a crack at creating custom and universal applications for all Meta 2 users. The elusive killer AR app for BIM could be lurking just around the corner.

And the Meta 2 AR development kit will make the Meta 2 headset compatible with a whole array of Dell Precision workstations, professional PCs and the Dell Canvas.

The Dell Canvas, pictured above, is a secondary display (not a standalone unit). It mimics the feel of a drafting table with a 27-inch drawing surface and display screen. With high resolution (2560 x 1440 pixel), a dial that works when in contact with the screen, and a digital pen, the Dell Canvas (running SOLIDWORKS here) costs USD$1799. (Image courtesy of Dell.)

Although Radburn couldn’t share exactly when the Meta 2 would be paired with Dell devices, he did indicate to expect some dynamic 3D modeling AEC and BIM applications in the near future.

Why Did Dell Go with Meta?

Dell chose to resell and bundle the Meta 2 with its products because the headset had the best features (in Dell’s estimation), including a 90-degree Field-of-View (FoV), that would attract the best developers working in Dell’s networks.

Dell had been looking for the best AR device it could get its hands on for the last few years, and after checking out all of the AR gear at various tradeshows, Dell decided to pair up with Meta in a casual manner for some interesting demos. After things went well between the two businesses, and Dell compared Meta to every other AR headset, Dell made its decision. And the idea of officially bundling Dell with Meta 2 headsets was born.

Of course, not every enterprise customer will be interested in creating AR applications on the Meta 2 AR Development Kit. However, making the Meta 2 available will likely spur a few pragmatic applications from interested manufacturing, construction and healthcare companies.

In the video above from Tested YouTube channel (featuring Adam Savage of MythBusters), Norman Chan and Jeremy Williams meet with Brian Pamplin, vice president of Meta, to discuss and experience the Meta 2 headset. At 10:00, Pamplin begins talking about overcoming the small Field-of-View obstacles to increase it to 90 degrees. Essential to the creation of dynamic high-resolution displays are connected bundles of fiber optic glass (which carry the light source) through a waveguide into the display glass.

The Dell and Meta Bundle: What to Expect

Radburn went on to discuss the possibilities of AR training applications for healthcare and manufacturing, as well as applications for digital prototyping with a high degree of collaboration.

He mentioned one of a few interesting applications ready for use, the Medical Holodeck, which allows medical professionals to collaborate in AR.

In the application seen in the snapshot above, users put on the Meta 2 headset, and work with computed tomography (CT) and MRI scans as immersive 3D models. Since the application performs volume rendering, a strong GPU is needed to the tethered workstation or laptop. The full-version of the application costs USD$149 on Steam. There is a personal version of Medical Holodeck available, which allows users to upload and navigate their own CT scan and MRI data. Medical Holodeck could be used by instructors for medical classes. Students can use a headset of their own, a tablet, desktop or laptop computer to follow along. Users communicate by audio and each can select their own point of view when replaying a lesson. Radiologists and surgeons can upload patient-specific CT or MRI data and use virtual cutting tools to discuss and walk through surgeries. Patients can be shown data of their own bodies, while attending doctors and other medical professionals discuss treatment with them. (Image courtesy of Medical Holodeck.)

What’s Included with a Meta 2 Augmented Reality Kit

Users have access to a native Unity SDK and Meta Workspace, which is the company’s version of a holographic operating system. The FoV stands at 90 degrees, which is better than both the first version of Microsoft Hololens (35 degrees) and the second version (70 degrees).

Meta 2’s resolution is 2.5K; it has a 60Hz refresh rate, has adjustable head-straps and memory foam support pads for comfort. It weighs in at 1.1 lbs. and is tethered to a computer by a 9-foot cable, which also provides the headset with power, data, and video.

Meta 2 has an array of tracking sensors for hand interaction and relative position and feeds the user audio via four surround speakers. There are three microphones embedded in it for communicating and collaborating with others.

What’s included with a Meta 2 kit:
• Meta 2 AR Headset
• Access to Unity SDK (Beta)
• Access to Meta Developer Center
• Headset Stand
• 2 Exchangeable Forehead Supports
• 2 Handwashable Forehead Support Pads
• Microfiber Bag
• AC Adapter
• Universal Adapter Plug Kit - Set of 4
• Access to Detailed Instructions

Computer System Requirements for the Meta 2

Since it is tethered and not a standalone device, it needs a relatively powerful workstation or laptop with the right hardware in order to work at all.

Besides the Windows 10 (64 bit) Operating System, you’ll need the following to use Meta 2:

Hard Drive Space: At least 10 GB
Memory: 16 GB RAM DDR4
CPU: At least equivalent to Intel Core i7 6700 Processor FX 9590 or better
GPU: At least equivalent to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, AMD Radeon R9 390X or better
Video Output: 1x HDMI 1.4b port
USB: 1x USB 3.0 ports or higher

Users do not need a 3D engine, but the company recommends Unity version 5.6 or higher.

The Meta 2 has been developing a powerful optical engine, has consistently improved the ability of users to manipulate AR 3D models with their hands, and has come quite a long way in making itself compatible with external haptic hardware and 3D visualization technologies, as seen in the video above from CES 2018.

Until a future announcement with a specific date is made, what’s known is that the Meta 2 AR Development Kit will be bundled together with Dell PCs, Dell Precision workstations, and the Dell Canvas.

Stay tuned.