An NBA Star Says Magic Leap's AR Device Will Disrupt Your Life

Enter Magic Leap

If you haven't heard of Magic Leap, it's probably not your fault, the company might just want it that way. The Florida-based augmented reality (AR) company, which has raised over $1 billion from backers like Google, has been very reluctant to release any information about their future product. But NBA star Andre Iguodala of the Golden State Warriors might have just narrowly missed violating the non-disclosure agreement he signed with Magic Leap by talking about the company's progress.

But first, what exactly is Magic Leap trying to accomplish? Similar to the Microsoft Hololens, Magic Leap is working hard to bring mixed reality into consumer markets. The company promises an AR experience unlike any other by delivering “neurologically true visual perception,” through a headset that overlays the game graphics on top of the real world.

 

The game designers are working to make sure there is transition so seamless that your brain won't be able to tell the difference between artificial reality and reality when you're using Magic Leap's device. Other than the rumors and the public company patent, not much is known about the device's capabilities — that is, until now.

Secrets Revealed?

Iguodala's remarks to CNET gave us a glimpse at what secrets Magic Leap's upcoming device might have in store for consumers:

• The interface is controlled by eye movements that modulate items in a user's environment (turning off lights, adjusting the temperature in your home).
• Characters can appear on your arms at will when you stick them out.
• The device has a digital assistant similar to Apple's Siri.
• The device will be far smaller than the competing devices.
• The device might come with a belt pack that stores the computing power and battery for the glasses.

You might be wondering why an NBA all-star knows so much about Magic Leap's upcoming product. It's because Magic Leap is "interested in doing some stuff with sports," as Iguodala put it. The device is intended to disrupt life and change everything, so you can't help but be excited with each new piece of information that comes out, especially since it feels more like Magic Leap contraband than a news update.