Last week, Unistellar, an innovative company in optical devices and a partner of the SETI Institute since the release of their user-friendly smart telescope in 2017, announced the launch of a groundbreaking new product: www.unistellar.com/envision. This new device will captivate stargazers and outdoor enthusiasts, serving as an excellent instrument for outreach and scientific expeditions.
The ENVISION Smart Binoculars introduce a new era of stargazing with their augmented reality (AR) integration. This groundbreaking feature contextualizes information within the user's field of view, significantly enhancing the ability to locate comets, star clusters, and nebulae in the night sky. The 'Guided Navigation Mode ', a feature that allows educators to use their phones to select observable objects in the current sky and guide students towards them through AR, is a game-changer in astronomy education. This technology aims to inspire the younger generation to reconnect with the sky and discover the beauty of constellations.
ENVISION Smart Binoculars also feature a unique 'Shareable Target-Lock Mode' that is expected to shine in daylight. Imagine spotting something fascinating in the landscape and wanting to share it with your friends. With ENVISION, users can lock the binoculars onto a landmark and pass them to their friends, who will be precisely guided to the same target. This feature is not only fun but also invaluable for scientists and students on field expeditions, fostering collaboration and interaction in the study of unfamiliar environments.
As the design and quality of the ENVISION binoculars are further revealed and understood, Unistellar will consider future developments for their scientific applications.
“Similarly to the development of the eVscope in 2017, SETI Institute will partner with Unistellar in developing citizen science programs for the ENVISION binoculars, an exciting new product for day and night explorers,” said Franck Marchis, co-founder of Unistellar and Director of Citizen Science at the SETI Institute. “Science and education have been essential to the success of the Unistellar telescopes, and I believe it will be the same for the first truly smart binoculars. Our SETI Institute team of astronomers and educators will contribute to developing meaningful and inspirational activities with this new device. Imagine getting a notification on your app about a new comet or a new nova and being one of the first to see it with your binoculars or creating lab activities in specific sites so the students discover with the help of their professor, the geological formation processes. There are an infinite amount of possibilities that will be explored in the upcoming years with this new technology.”
Unistellar announced that it will soon launch a crowdfunding campaign for the ENVISION binoculars. Visit www.unistellar.com/envision for more information and to stay updated on the campaign.
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