These Smart Binoculars Can Identify Thousands of Stars and Over a Million Landmarks

Unistellar’s new Envision binoculars bring smart functionality to a new level. Similar to Swarovski’s Optik AX Visio binoculars announced earlier this year, the Envision binoculars take a different route by recognizing and labeling over a million unique landmarks, including mountains, trails, and more than 200,000 objects in the night sky.

The French company, which started a decade ago with smart telescopes that automate the process of finding and photographing celestial objects, is now integrating this technology into a pair of binoculars. These binoculars feature 50mm lenses from Nikon and are upgraded with an augmented reality (AR) projection system that overlays contextual information about what’s being viewed in real-time.

The innovative Unistellar Envision binoculars use AR to provide real-time information.

Unistellar will rely on a crowdfunding campaign to create its first prototypes next year, with delivery to backers expected by late 2025.

Smart Features and Connectivity

The Envision binoculars connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth and use the device’s GPS and other sensors to determine the user’s location. With the help of an app, the smartphone feeds the binoculars information from an extensive online database containing “millions of cartographic items, including mountains, hills, trails, landmarks, water sources, stars, galaxies, and other celestial objects.” For those heading to remote locations with limited connectivity, offline maps and data can be downloaded ahead of time.

Battery life is rated at five hours of use or “1,000 binocular engagements per charge.” Even when the battery dies, the Envision will still function as regular binoculars.

The Shareable Target Lock feature allows users to lock onto a target and guide others to it.

In addition to serving as a handheld tour guide, Unistellar promises another handy feature: one person can lock onto something they’re looking at and then pass the binoculars to someone else, who will see directional indicators guiding them to the same target.

Crowdfunding Campaign

Unistellar is bringing the Envision binoculars to consumers through a Kickstarter campaign, which is still over $1 million shy of its funding goal. Early bird backers can preorder a pair for $699, a significant discount from the expected $1,199 retail price (and much cheaper than the $4,799 Swarovski smart binoculars). However, delivery for the earliest backers isn’t expected until November 2025.

There’s always a risk when backing a crowdfunded product, even from a company like Unistellar that has already delivered several successful devices. The company expects to have its first industrial prototypes of the Envision binoculars by January 2025. Despite Unistellar's solid track record, it might be wise to wait until next year to see how these binoculars pan out.

Stay updated with the latest tech news and guides from Kushal Bharat Tech News.