Rumors of an augmented reality system from Google have persisted for a while, but Google’s finally taken the wraps off of the project under the name “Project Glass”. It’s a wearable glasses-like device that presents a transparent screen, introducing an overlay of web-connected data to your everyday life. It’s not a full pair of glasses as some expected – the transparent screen is a small strip that hangs above the user’s right eye – but it looks like it either connects directly to the Internet over a mobile broadband connection or uses a tethered connection from a phone.

Details are still pretty scarce, but Google’s introductory video below shows a lot of the use cases. Basically, Project Glass continually scans your immediate area for information using what looks like a visual heuristic engine. The interface is voice-controlled, possibly augmented by some eye-tracking. The technology combines a camera, microphone and other sensors to create a sort of technology overlay onto the real world  – this is some serious science fiction magic going on.

Watch the video below – you won’t want to miss this:

Google isn’t saying much at all about Project Glass at the moment – not even if it runs on Android as previously rumored. We can see that cellular services, video chat, Google’s Voice Actions (possibly with some Majel-inspired interpretive computation), Lattitude, Google Maps, Navigation, and Google Plus are all tightly integrated, at least in the demo.

We can hope that a trial program (similar to the Chrome trial Cr48 program) is in the works, and we’ll almost certainly hear more about the technology at Google I/O in June. There’s no word on when Project Glass will expand or if it might become a consumer product one day. But one thing’s for sure: just about every geek in the world wants one, now.

17 COMMENTS

  1. Absolutely amazing tech with endless possibilities. However the physical body leaves a lot to be desired. Why not a full set of glasses??? Augmented reality will difficult staring up all the time.

    • Some say that there is no screen, instead the picture is projected straight on to the retina. The first prototypes for this were made my Brother about a year ago. In this case the seethrough portion of the glasses in that top edge is not a screen but a refracting lens.

  2. Awe yeah! Love Google and love every single product by Google!
    Have you seen another leaked video on Project Glass?
    See here; http://bit.ly/Hfe0yM

  3. This is all possible. But hard to believe the clarity would be anything like the quality of this video or that today’s phone network could give such a good coverage and bandwidth for a pleasant experience depicted here.   Not trying to be negative, just realistic.  Also where does the battery go?, I’d imagine a cable running down from ear area to a pocket battery? 🙂

    At least we’re on the right track though! :)Mete
    http://DroidFather.com

  4. Before you buy this, consider the value to Google (or Apple, or Microsoft) in data mining your every waking thought.  They should not only give it away, they should pay you handsomely to use it.  The consider that you’ll look like a complete freak.

  5. What about radiation. What about the fact that you focus on whatever is on your screen and you slam into a wall. What about privacy. What about the fact they they sure are not the first. What about looking like an idiot wen talking to your glasses in public. What about adds..hey it’s google. What about video calling but they can not see you. What about the price tag for being connected. I love being negative. No thanks keep the glasses.

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