Website 9TO5Google.com has unveiled insider details of Google's latest HUD glasses prototype, which apparently, currently looks similar in design to the Oakley Thumps glasses and features a small, front-facing camera for an augmented reality video feed along with a flash and the ability to take photos.
Oakleys
The device is likely powered by a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 and can function as a standalone smartphone. The system is said to use head tilting for scroll and click, which is 'apparently' very quick to learn and soon becomes second nature. There's a single display on a single eye and, at least at this stage in the development process, it is not transparent.
What was most interesting in the report is that Google, whilst having a long way to go with development, is unsure of whether the device has a mass-market future and it has been suggested that the firm may look to perform an external trial of the technology in the near future.
This writer has always believed that there is a market for AR glasses, though the technology will need to evolve significantly before mass-market uptake becomes possible. It will need to fit into glasses that do not look out of place with everyday frames, feature either much greater resolution screens and cameras or ideally feature a transparent lens coating for varying degrees of AR experience. A good example of where the technology could take us can be seen in acclaimed Japanese anime, Dennō Coil, where a group of school children spend their everyday lives wearing such devices.
