Heads-Up Display for Mobile Workers: Zebra’s Breakthrough HD4000

We’ve all seen people on the street with their heads down, staring at smartphone screens when they should be paying attention to where they’re walking. But many workers are doing the same thing every day, by having to repeatedly look down at a mobile device screen to get work done in the warehouse, on the plant floor, or out in the field.

Workers often spend hours of their day looking at their mobile device screen to access order picking information, assembly or repair instructions, or confirm barcode scanning results. This requires them to interrupt or delay tasks while they interact with their device, and it often causes neck strain and other ergonomic issues.

However, all of this is about to change with Zebra’s industry-first HD4000 head-mounted display, which puts information in front of workers’ eyes without them having to look down at a device screen and without distracting them from the task at hand.

The HD4000 is a lightweight and see-through optical display that’s as easy to wear as a pair of glasses. It weighs just 1.06 ounces (30 grams) and can be put on or taken off in a split second. 

The HD4000 boosts task efficiency and accuracy by overlaying the most relevant contextual information over worker’s real-time field of view. With this simple, wearable device, they can keep their hands and eyes free to focus on tasks instead of interacting with mobile apps on a mobile computer to access the same data.

Developed in collaboration with Six15 Technologies, Zebra’s display provides unmatched color, contrast, and image clarity while minimizing eye fatigue with a focal distance optimized for head-mounted applications.

The HD4000 also includes a built-in 5-megapixel camera for image capture as well as a head tracker to improve human-computer interaction by monitoring the user’s head position and orientation. There’s also a built-in microphone for voice communications.

The head-mounted display is engineered for comfort, with a fully adjustable frame mount that fits practically any worker. It also accommodates left and right eye use, a wide range of inter-pupillary distance positioning, and even prescription glasses. You can also change from right eye to left eye in seconds, so workers can avoid eye strain and enjoy a comfortable, all-day viewing experience.

The HD4000 connects to Zebra mobile computers through a simple USB 2.0 cable and supports host device connectivity for Android (5.0 and higher) and Windows 10. It doesn’t require a battery since it draws power from a mobile computer, and since it uses less than one watt of power, there’s little impact on the host device battery. Most Zebra mobile device batteries are hot-swappable, so you can keep both your device and head-mounted display running 24/7. And the HD4000 also uses the host device’s Wi-Fi or cellular radio via the USB 2.0 connection.

Zebra’s HD4000 is also a rugged device, with IP67 sealing against dust and water, and a 5-foot (1 meter) drop specification. It’s virtually impervious to dust and can survive a hose down and complete immersion in water.

The HD4000 also features a hygienic and germ-resistant design, and it’s easily mounted to commercial, off-the-shelf safety glasses with no tools required.

There’s also simple and robust application support, with an Android HD4000 SDK that supports many standard interfaces and simplifies custom app development. APIs make it easy to integrate with applications in any vertical market. And to simplify warehouse integration, Zebra also provides Warehouse Templates for fast and simple integration with leading warehouse management systems (WMS).

Want to learn more about the HD4000? Contact our experts at Strategic Systems.