Stefan Alexander (North) on Applying the Lessons of Focals v1 to v2 and the Argument for Laser Scanning Displays (Part 2)
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The Guest
Stefan Alexander is the VP of Advanced R&D at North, a company taking a human-centric approach to creating AR smartglass hardware and experiences that are both useful and respectful.
After earning a Masters of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Stefan spent more than a decade working with OLED display technology at IGNIS Innovation.
From there he joined North to build and lead the team that developed the technology behind Focals 1.0 and the forthcoming 2.0 hardware.
My conversation with Stefan goes deep into the technology, the mindset, and the lessons learned at North, and I’ve split it into two parts.
The Conversation
In the second part of our conversation, Stefan explores the key takeaways from the launch and use of the Focals 1.0 glasses. Stefan shares his perspective on how making smartglasses is about tradeoffs, and goes on to tease some of the key advancements they’re making for version 2, which is expected later this year in 2020.
He also shares his take on Laser Beam Scanning versus MicroLED displays for smartglasses, his thoughts about Nreal and the Nreal Light, and key challenges around privacy and consent when everybody is wearing cameras and microphones.
Links From The Episode
- Blog: Focals 2.0 - Arriving in 2020 by North
- Article: North Focals 2.0 smart glasses could court controversy with a camera by Chris Davies at Slash Gear
- Book: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
- Episode Transcript - Part 2