Glyph Headset Puts Movies Literally in Front of Your Eyes

A new headset that recently launched as a Kickstarter project could completely change the way people watch movies.

Known as the Glyph, the "virtual retina display" headset comes from Ann Arbor, Mich.-based tech company Avegant and was unveiled earlier this month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The new device is about the size of a pair of standard studio headphones and has the effect of an 80-inch, high-definition television, Forbes reported. The Glyph headband has screens that project light directly to the user's retina.

In the future, directors could be making 360-degree movies where viewers can not only watch the movie unfold but also take in the environment around them through the Glyph's design, said the Kickstarter page.

"The thing that's innovative about the technology is the virtual retinal display. There are a lot of products that use it, but essentially you have a monitor two inches away from your eye," Yobie Benjamin, Avegant chief software office and chief operating officer, told MLive.com.

"We're different in that we don't use a screen or monitor. We use light and we project that directly to your retina in the back of your eye. The result of that is that the feel is more natural."

The device, which uses low power LED, flips down to bring the virtual screen in front of the wearer's eyes and also muffles noise for a full viewing experience.

While virtual screens have long been used for industrial and military purposes, the Glyph is the first device that uses the technology and is intended for mass production, Benjamin told MLive.

For users who wear glasses, the diopters in the Glyph can be adjusted to fit most prescriptions, so glasses will not be needed, according to Forbes.

The device has an option for HDMI input, so users can view anything from their Netflix streaming or their DVD and Blu-ray library. The Glyph, which has a battery life of around three hours, can also be used for gaming with a PlayStation or Xbox.

Avegant launched a Kickstarter campaign on Wednesday that has already passed the company's $250,000 goal. A Glyph costs $499 through the Kickstarter page. With 28 days left until the project is funded, Avegant had already raised nearly $490,000 as of Thursday afternoon.