Operas are commonly sung in Italian or German, so opera houses often install large LED displays in front of the stage wings to provide subtitles during performances. The problem with these systems, however, is that operagoers have a hard time immersing themselves in the performance because they are constantly taking their eyes off the stage to read the subtitles.
Seiko Epson Corporation in partnership with the Japanese New National thetre Foundation aims to change the game and eliminate that problem with the help of Epson’s Moverio BT-200 smartglasses.The system will be tested form February 28 to March 2 during performances by the New National Theatre Opera Studio in Japan. Selected guests will be able to follow the performances with subtitles projected onto the see-through lenses of Epson’s new Moverio BT-200 smartglasses.
The new system takes advantage of the ability of the Epson Moverio BT-200, which can be worn like an ordinary pair of glasses, to display subtitles seemingly in the air while guests watch the action on the stage. Moverio BT-200 smartglasses will be loaned to selected guests who want a more natural opera viewing experience with line-of-sight subtitles.