RealWear Smart Glasses

In 2017, RealWear (originally an American company) launched the RealWear HMT-1. These Remote Collaboration Smart Glasses turned out to be a real hit among companies working in industrial environments. Where similar glasses like the Microsoft HoloLens 2, Vuzix M400 and Google Glass 2 are quite delicate devices, the RealWear HMT-1 is made for heavier work. For instance, the frame of the RealWear HMT-1 is specially developed to survive a drop from two meters height without a hitch. In this blog, we will delve deeper into the specifications of the RealWear HMT-1 and look at the already newly released RealWear Navigator 500. And we answer the question: "What do you use the RealWear HMT-1 or RealWear Navigator 500 for?".

The RealWear HMT-1 is characterized by its robustness. But besides that, the Smart Glasses also have very good specifications when it comes to, for example, the camera quality. The RealWear HMT-1 is equipped with a built-in 16 megapixel camera for taking photos. This makes it an excellent choice when the glasses are used for (detailed) remote viewing..

• Video: 1080p, 30fps
• Photo: 16 MP
• Field of view: 20 degrees
• Screen type: LCD
• Resolution: 854 x 480 pixels

The RealWear HMT-1 is one of the most robust smart glasses at the moment. The glasses are specifically made for use in industrial environments. The glasses (or its frame) have been tested for falling from different heights and can fall from a height of 2 meters without any problems. In addition, the glasses are resistant to strong water jets and exposure to heavy dust clouds (IP66 classification).

Wearing the RealWear HMT-1 is very comfortable. Especially with the RealWear workband (a fabric/elastic band around the head), it's almost unnoticeable that you're wearing smart glasses. The glasses also stay firmly on the head, allowing images to be filmed and/or displayed without too much movement.

• IP class: IP66
• Waterproof: Yes
• Dustproof: Yes
• Drop height (tested): 2 meters
• Weight: 380 grams

The RealWear HMT-1 is best suited in a (heavy) industrial working environment where a professional needs to look along remotely. Think of a welder who has to do a very specialized job where someone else needs to watch from a distance. The RealWear HMT-1 can be put on the welder's head without any problems or irritations (it doesn't affect the work), someone else can watch in detail with the help of the high-quality camera and give tips, and the product manager doesn't have to worry about the equipment breaking during use.

On December 8, 2021, RealWear announced the latest model of industrial Smart Glasses: the RealWear Navigator 500. This pair of glasses is the successor of the previously released RealWear HMT-1. The biggest differences in these two glasses are that the RealWear Navigator has a 48MP camera (compared to 16 MP of the HMT-1) and 64GB memory (compared to 32GGB of the HMT-1). In addition, there have been some adjustments in terms of the processor and weight.

• Screen type: LCD
• Resolution: 854 x 480 pixels
• Field of view: 20 degrees
• Camera: 48 MP, 1080p and 60fps video (RealWear HMT-1: 16 MP, 1080p and 30fps video)
• Processor: Snapdragon 662 (RealWear HMT-1: Snapdragon 626)
• Memory: 64GB, 4GB RAM (RealWear HMT-1: 32GB, 3GB RAM)
• Weight: 272 grams (RealWear HMT-1: 380 grams)
• Battery life: Up to 8 hours (RealWear HMT-1: 5 to 6 hours)

The RealWear Navigator 500 features an upgraded processor (Snapdragon 662), more memory (64GB), and a better camera (48 MP). With excellent voice recognition and noise-canceling microphones, the RealWear Navigator 500 is an impressive Smart Glasses for the (light industrial) workplace. In addition, the RealWear Navigator 500 has a better battery life allowing it to be used for up to 8 hours.

The RealWear HMT-1 still has better certifications when it comes to working in a (heavy) industrial environment. The RealWear HMT-1 is fully drop, dust, and waterproof. You can better use the RealWear Navigator when it comes to a less intensive environment, such as working in a warehouse or logistics and in applications where filming in high image resolution is important.