castAR, described on its Kickstarter as "a projected augmented reality system that displays holographic-like 3D projections right in front of you," has reached its whopping $400,000 goal in little more than two days. The duo behind the glasses, Jeri Ellsworth and Rick Johnson, under the company name Technical Illusions, are ex-Valve employees let go in February of this year.
The system utilizes two peripherals: the Magic Wand, a one-handed controller that "lets you position things in space and control them with a joystick"; and the RFID Tracking Grad, which lets the user "identify, track, and augment physical objects (such as miniatures, cards, and board game pieces)." The frames of the HDMI-connected glasses hold two micro-projectors that cast a stereoscopic 3D image onto the provided retro-reflective surface, while a USB camera fitted between the projectors use markers on the surface to track your head position and orientation.
The castAR glasses promises that it will not require calibration or adjustment, and that it will fit over prescription glasses easily. Users shouldn't experience eye strain either, unlike the stereoscopic system of the 3DS, since it focuses your vision at your natural viewing distance.
Several stretch goals have been posted as well: $600,000 will introduce a "customizable dungeon tile mapper" to the surface, and $800,000 will add a microphone to the headset for possible voice commands.
