Are augmented reality glasses the next big thing?

carlryds · ‎23-03-2018

Hi Everyone,

Smartphones are getting to a point now where all the big things have been done, including really good cameras, fingerprint/face unlocking, thin bezels, wireless charging, vibrant OLED screens both big and small among so many other things our smartphones do really well. Smartphones will, of course, continue to get better and better. However, the industry is always looking for the next big thing after smartphones, tablets and smartwatches. Could that be augmented reality glasses?

Obviously, Google has already tried this with Google Glass. However, I believe they were just too early to market and the hardware just wasn't really ready for mainstream adoption yet (especially at $1,500), the key to a successful mainstream product is to have the technology (both hardware and software) thought out in a consumer-friendly way and bring it to market at the right time and at the right price. Let's take a quick look at the history of Google Glass...

The History

Source: Google

Google Glass was developed by Google X, the facility within Google devoted to technological advancements such as driverless cars. The first prototype was made in mid-2011 with the public announcement in April 2012, the device was refined over the years and by 2013 they were lighter than the average pair of sunglasses. Then In April 2013, during Google I/O developers the Explorer Edition was made available for $1,500. In January 2015, Google ended the beta period of the Google Glass Explorer program. Google Glass is still used today in an Enterprise Edition to help people who need their hands for there job, including manufacturing, logistics and healthcare. But could Apple be the ones to make augmented reality glasses a mainstream product that everyone wants?

The Future

Source: Tailosive Tech

Apple has a proven record of not being the first to a technology but usually doing it the best way, so I am excited about what ‘Apple Glass’ could be. In fact in July last year, Patently Apple discovered patents about possible Apple AR glasses, which were related to Apple's acquisition of AR-based company Metaio in 2015. So it is definitely something Apple is interested in pursuing. I can see many ways in which AR glasses being used in our day to day lives, here are a few things I have thought of...

Virtual Monitors/TVs - Instead of having to go out and buy a second monitor (or use Duet Display on an iPad I talked about recently) to add to your desktop or laptop you could have one projected by your AR Glasses. You could also replace your TV with a virtual one on your wall projected by your AR glasses (similar to what Microsoft HoloLens has shown off).
Walls - Do we need to put up pictures anymore or can they be virtual? Maybe pulling the latest photos from your phone or Facebook account and playing them in a slideshow in virtual picture frames on your walls.
Floor plans - This would be a big help for estate agents and people selling or buying a home. Being able to map out a room would be much easier using AR glasses then what we currently can do with our phones.
Furniture - Similar to how IKEA Place (and some Amazon products) works on an iPhone today, you can pick furniture, place it in the room and be able to walk around it as if it was there, this would be more convenient and immersive than holding a phone up in front of you to do it.
Navigation - We have got to a point where navigation in the car is really good, but navigation when your walking isn't really there yet. Yes, your Apple Watch can tap you when it's time to turn but wouldn't it be better if you could see your route in front of you (this is similar to what Google Glass could do).
Shopping - I think being able to pick up a product in a store and see more information in a card which appears next to it could be really useful, maybe it could tell you if your allergic to any of the ingredients (pulling data from Health Kit) or for tech products if its compatible with things you already own. For flat pack furniture, again maybe IKEA could show you how to put their furniture together highlighting the holes for the screws or where the next section goes on the real-life product.
Dating - There are obviously a few privacy concerns and this may be a little creepy. However, let's just think about the concept for a moment. You can walk down the street and see someone you like and it could pull there public Facebook info and any data from any dating apps they are on into one card above their head.
App Store - Just like your phone, tablet and smartwatch, AR Glasses could have its own App store, in Apple’s case, the apps would be built on an extension of their current AR Kit. Making it easy to find third-party Apps for your glasses.

Conclusion

I don’t think the software is the thing that is holding up more augmented reality glasses from coming onto the market, I think it's the hardware, it needs to be small enough so it's socially acceptable to wear and cheap enough for a mass market appeal. I think the glasses themselves may need to rely on advances in Bluetooth or WIFI to have your phone do all the processing and the glasses purely be the display (whether that be a projector off to the side of some sort of transparent display in the lens itself) and have a big battery. They also have to consider people like me who wear glasses who would need a prescription pair.

If the software is refined and not too intrusive into our vision (maybe a limit saying no more than 20% of your vision can be obscured by AR) and if the hardware is not as conspicuous as Google Glass then I think some sort of AR glasses can have a place in our lives but I don’t think they are going to become as prevalent as smartphones. tablets and even smartwatches to a degree are today. Like I mentioned above they will have their uses but I don't think it will be something everyone will be queuing up to buy, even from Apple. Especially if you don’t currently wear glasses, if I could add ‘Apple Glass’ onto my current glasses for around £500 and I could see a use for them in my life, I probably would pick up a pair. Let me know in the comments what you think the future of augmented reality glasses is and whether you can see yourself picking up a pair in the future.

Thanks for reading,

Carl

Sources:

Thanks for reading,

Carl

Carl produces websites, apps and videos. View his latest work at carlrydings.com

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mike_sher · ‎23-03-2018

I'd be interested in a prescription pair at the right price (though not Apple) as I wear glasses anyway. But given the effort and money most people spend in trying to not wear glasses (from pretending they don't need them, through contact lenses to laser surgery) I don't see them being much more popular than 3D glasses in the long term.

AR contact lenses? .... I can see a bit more of a market there.

seanalert · ‎24-03-2018

Personally, i don't see AR glasses going anywhere, anytime soon. Given the cost and effort people who need glasses go to not to wear glasses, I think it would be a rather tough job trying persuade a non-glasses wearer to wear glasses. I don't think it's much different to smart watches really by the fact it's solved a problem that wasn't a problem. Too niche in my opinion.

joolzian · ‎25-03-2018

I wouldn't be happy talking to people with cameras on their glasses pointed at me. Rude and intrusive.

inspiron42 · ‎25-03-2018

Business adoption will be first. Image assembling or fixing something with the instructions in front of your eyes all the time.

derbo666 · ‎17-06-2018

i would say holographic technology will be a big thing

lelacool · ‎02-02-2019

As a glasses wearer, I know I would love AR glasses. I like the idea of being able to do what you can do on your phone on your glasses, such as checking the time, getting and replying to emails and messages and especially navigation and being able to see where it is that you need to go. I do understand that for people who don't wear glasses, they are unlikely to want to wear glasses, unless there was something really great about them, and maybe contact lenses, once its possible, would be something that many people would appreciate and use.