News: Aryzon Joins the Race to Be the Cardboard of AR

Another entrant — Aryzon — has joined the competition to be crowned as the "Cardboard of AR."

The Netherlands-based startup launched their Kickstarter campaign Monday (May 29) and the campaign has already surpassed its funding goal. The company expects to ship units to backers in September.

Much like the Google Cardboard virtual reality kits, Aryzon ships to users a DIY kit, costing just $30. Once assembled, users simply affix their iPhone or Android device into the allotted slot.

The setup, similar to offerings from Seebright and Threye Interactive, involves a series of mirrors and lens to project objects from the smartphone to the user's field of view. (Zappar's headset, meanwhile, displays content on the device's screen through its camera and a wide-angle lens attachment.) Content is triggered by a target image, which can be customized by the developer.

The headset allows users to display any digital content and their environment to life, meaning a puppy can play on your desk or card games can come to life. More practical uses can be imagined, such as decorating your home in AR or visualizing new products from online shops.

A Crowded Field

Seebright claimed the title of pole position in this race, introducing their SDK and prototype device in 2014; reference designs for their Ripple 2 are available for licensing and customization, according to their website.

Zappar, whose co-founder and CEO, Caspar Thykier, graces the NR50) entered the fray in 2016, raising nearly $85,000 through Kickstarter for their $30 ZapBox mixed reality headset before securing a Series A round of funding earlier this year. They are currently shipping units to their Developer Bundle backers.

Threye Interactive has emerged as another contender, with a crowdfunding campaign estimated to begin this summer for their HeadsupAR headset, which is expected to start at $75.

Just like its competitors, Aryzon also has its own SDK.

Aryzon will provide a dedicated platform for the visualization of digital content that users can access in order to serve a wide range of users. Aryzon hopes to create a community who are passionate about AR development, allowing the platform to be optimized and improved with the objective of becoming the go-to platform for augmented reality content creation and sharing.

Which begs the question – which standard for the Cardboard of AR will reign supreme? Let us know in the comments below.

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