We can already compute on the run, due to our tablet computers and smartphones. Nonetheless, Google isn't content. The online search giant is in the middle of testing its Project Glass project, what you probably think of as Google glasses. Maybe you've seen coverage of Project Glass in the New York Times. You might even have seen the many photos of smiling folks sporting what looks like futuristic wrap-around Star Trek glasses.
A Computer Above Your Eyes
These augmented reality glasses are hands off and permit users to share images, make phone calls, and do anything that they can do with their smartphones. The sole distinction is that their field of vision is the “screen”.
A Stream of Useful Information
Google glasses are triggered using voice commands. You can just request a bus schedule and it'll be displayed for you. Or you can request directions to a theatre, and a map will be displayed much like how it would be on a smartphone.
This video, produced by Google, gives you a glimpse of what wearing these augmented reality glasses may be like. The video shows a man making plans throughout his day, without having to bother with a hand held device. As he heads to meet a friend the glasses alert him that the subway is suspended then maps out walking directions for him to follow. The video demonstrates that these glasses can act as a personal assistant who stays one step ahead and makes your life run more easily.
An Unobtrusive Technology?
There has been some debate as to weather the information shown will be so vast that it may hinder a person’s sight. Google claims that the only data that'll be projected into a user’s field of vision is information they have requested and they say that this will help more then hinder. For example, if a person wishes to text a friend they only have to speak it, rather then find their device and type.
There have been those who believe that these glasses will be used for advertisements. A few spoof videos have already been made and posted on YouTube that demonstrate this idea. While it's not clear what will be projected into your field of vision with Project Glass, what is clear is that Google's latest initiative holds unlimited potential.