Wearable Technology: Google Heads-Up Glasses On The Way

The smartphone has been ubiquitous for just long enough that a new, mind-bogglingly futuristic piece of gadgetry was due sometime soon, and Google researchers and developers are working quickly to fill the niche. Rumor on the internet says Google is on-track to release Heads-Up Display glasses by the end of year, with a prototype and product specifics due in the summer.

Apple and Google have both been developing wearable technology; Apple is purportedly working on something more like a wristwatch-type device with smartphone capabilities, while Google has opted for a pair of glasses with a non-transparent display on one side that will have the capabilities of about a generation-old Android phone. The glasses will be Android-based, though they are not an “Android peripheral” that requires an Android phone. Instead, they will connect to the Cloud using a 3G/4G connection.

Oakley THUMP 2 MP3 Sunglasses used as HUD prototype

The glasses will look similar to a pair of Oakley Thumps, with a few buttons on the side. Google’s Heads-Up display will be navigated using head tilts and nods to scroll and click. Prototype testers have reported that this type of navigation becomes second-nature and that, once the wearer has become adept at using the glasses, almost unnoticeable to others. The “Google goggles” as some are calling them will also have a speaker and some type of headphone device for voice input and output. The glasses will have a forward-facing camera with a flash, as well as an embedded GPS, so they could take pictures and potentially gather information about the environment and what you’re seeing to then provide additional information such as shops with items or sales you might be interested in, directions, or pertinent facts and details.

It remains to be seen if these glasses will be pegged with potential health risks – anything from motion sickness to vision impairment to concerns about a constant 3G/4G on next to wearer’s heads could be possible. The display isn’t transparent, so there could be some vision impairment, including depth perception and peripheral vision. Product developers’ most pressing concerns surround privacy protection, but they’re purportedly working on a way of letting others know if they’re being photographed or recorded using the glasses.

Who will be the early adopters of the Heads-Up glasses? With functionality similar to the common smartphone, the heads-up display doesn’t offer much beyond its futuristic feel and the convenience of not having to hold anything in your hands. It remains to be seen if these glasses will appeal to the general public or always look just a little too futuristic to all but the most cutting-edge users. The smartphone advantage over something like the Google goggles can be summed up best like this: an iPhone doesn’t particularly resemble anything from Terminator or Minority Report. The Heads-Up display does. This is perhaps why Google may initially release the glasses as a pilot program similar to the Cr-48 Chromebooks.

Rumor has it the heads-up display will be available to the public by the end of the year. Their capabilities suggest they will cost about as much as the most up-to-smartphones currently available, which could put them anywhere between $250 and $600.