Recently there have been reports that Google is working on wearable computing. But the latest rumour suggests that it’s actually planning to gives us all our own heads-up displays.
Yesterday the New York Times reported that, in the secret Google X labs, the company is working on forms of wearable technology — in the form of something like a watch.
But now 9to5Google claims that Google is aiming much higher than that. In fact, it suggests that Google is developing a full heads-up display built into a pair of normal-looking, thick-rimmed eyeglasses. They suggest that, though there would likely be few buttons on the arms of the glasses, they could be mistaken for normal glasses.
The idea isn’t that the glasses would be just an Android peripheral — rather, they would communicate with Google services directly in order to provide an augmented display for the user. Yes, like Terminator.
It’s the logical next step from Google Goggles. Especially when you consider that the latest update to Goggles means that it can now constantly scan for objects and text instead of requiring the user to snap a photo. Google Goggles already takes account of location information too, a feature that these glasses would surely require.
9to5Google say that the Google X lab is already working at the “late prototype stages” of development for the glasses. But, as this is all currently still rumour, there’s no word on estimated cost or due date. [9to5Google; Image: Mr. T in DC]