Magic Leap, the secretive tech firm that’s backed by Google, just posted a video that gives the clearest look yet at what its augmented reality technology can do. Shown today at WSJDLive, the clip is a minute long and a caption says the footage was “shot directly through Magic Leap technology” last week, without any special effects or compositing.
The first few seconds of the demo feature a three-dimensional robot waving to the viewer. The second part superimposes a glowing, rotating solar system over video that looks like it was taken in a noisy office.
Magic Leap, which has raised $592 million in funding so far, has kept a low profile as it prepares to debut its AR tech. This is just the second video it has posted on its YouTube channel to give people a peek at what they can expect once they get their hands on Magic Leap’s headsets.
Back in March, Magic Leap posted a concept video, called “Just another day at the office at Magic Leap,” demonstrating how its AR can be used to surf email and play a first-person shooter game. The footage, however, was edited and produced with Weta Workshop, the special effects and props studio best known for its work on The Lord of the Rings films.
While Magic Leap said the game shown in the concept video was already being played by its employees, its sleek editing and production led some gamers to question how accurately it will reflect Magic Leap’s final product. The new demo looks promising, but Magic Leap still hasn’t said when it will be available for consumers, so it will be a little while longer before we see if the company’s mixed-reality lives up to the raw footage’s promise.
