Wearables

Google X labs confirms augmented reality glasses project, releases video demo

Google X labs confirms augmented reality glasses project, releases video demo
Google's Project Glass hopes to deliver an augmented reality heads-up display
Google's Project Glass hopes to deliver an augmented reality heads-up display
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Google's Project Glass hopes to offer an augmented reality heads-up display
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Google's Project Glass hopes to offer an augmented reality heads-up display
Google's Project Glass hopes to deliver an augmented reality heads-up display
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Google's Project Glass hopes to deliver an augmented reality heads-up display

Google X (Google's futuristic technology development lab) has pulled back the curtain on Project Glass, its program to develop truly useful augmented reality "Google glasses." Project Glass aims to design and refine augmented reality technology to help a user explore and share their world armed with a wealth of relevant information - not at their fingertips, but rather at the end of their nose.

Augmented reality describes a view of the real world that includes superimposed graphics. Instead of interrupting your activities to use a smartphone to search for information - get directions, remain in touch, find out if an item is on sale, translate a tourist's note evaluating a restaurant, and the like - Google's Project Glass intends to provide glasses with real-time heads-up displays and intelligent personal assistant software to enable a seamless user experience.

"We think technology should work for you - to be there when you need it and get out of your way when you don't. A group of us from Google[x] started Project Glass to build this kind of technology, one that helps you explore and share your world, putting you back in the moment," says a post signed by the three Google X team leaders, Babak Parviz, Steve Lee, and Sebastian Thrun. Parviz has experience working on contact lenses embedded with electronics, including one designed to monitor blood sugar levels - although AR contact lenses are probably still a little ways off yet.

In February 2012, the New York Times reported "the glasses [could] go on sale to the public by the end of the year." This seems a little ambitious, with the team needing to overcome a number of technical problems, from cost and adequate battery life to speed, network, software, and graphics performance. However, the video below gives an idea of the direction Google hopes to take the technology in.

Source: Google X

Project Glass: One day...

25 comments
25 comments
Mr Stiffy
I watched the video and I think it's brilliant....
We are sort of living in an information overload, constantly interfaced, constantly monitored and monitoring electronic society - and this is really great... There are just so many advantages to it....
Sometimes I think it's just so nice to have a 2B pencil and a piece of paper - and to be blissfully bloody ignorant.
ihateorange
Google Goggles surely?
Alan Ross
Reminds me of an episode of black mirror by Charlie Brooker.
VoiceofReason
Nice technology. If it works like that, I'm in. However I know the ad companies will find ways to deluge us with crap we don't wanna see. Like some clown marrying bacon. Now if they could just find a way to put a dot over the sun while I'm driving towards it.
D0Sb00t
Hate to admit it, but I like it, especially the mapping feature. I am Locutus of Google - you will be assimilated.
tomas898
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaHUpWuqNHY[/youtube]
Tom Renk
The mind meld device in UI has been around as long as the promise of flying cars, jet packs and George Lucas moving on from Star Wars.
Rustin Lee Haase
@VoiceofReason I think the "Putting a dot over the Sun" is being done in high urgency situations like the military. Some day it may become common place. It sure looks like a great place to put an add. I can see it already in my imagination. Look up and there is the round Coca-Cola symbol right where the sun would be. The next day, a Mercedes emblem, then an NBA basketball. Your not supposed to look at the sun anyway so there is no damage as long as they don't replace the sun with the face Mick Jagger. I don't think my nervous system could handle that. :-)
Thomas Roberts
Yes, track my every move, word and thought please. Oh, and while you're at it, spam me silly with ads about everything I do. That would be great.
John Grimes
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!
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