Google Glass was a wearable, voice and motion-controlled Android gadget that resembled a pair of eyeglasses and displayed info immediately within the consumer’s visual view. It was discontinued in March 2023.
Google Glass supplied an augmented actuality (AR) expertise through the use of visible, audio and location-based inputs to supply related info. For instance, upon coming into an airport, a consumer might robotically obtain flight standing info.
Historical past of Google Glass
Google Glass was developed by Google’s X subsidiary. It was supposed to discover the probabilities of AR and wearable know-how. It by no means reached the purpose of turning into a full client product.
The primary model, dubbed Explorer Version, was launched in 2013. Shoppers instantly voiced their concern concerning the glasses being a possible invasion of privateness. To many, Google Glass represented inescapable recording in on a regular basis life. Google tried to rebrand the glasses as a software for professionals resembling surgeons or manufacturing unit employees. Nevertheless, concern remained, and Google ceased all work on the Glass Explorer challenge in 2015.
In 2017, work resumed with Glass Enterprise Version. This relaunch of the challenge targeted all efforts on making a product that will profit workplaces like factories and warehouses. In 2019, a brand new model of Google Glass was launched — the Glass Enterprise Version 2.
On March 15, 2023, Google ceased promoting Google Glass. On Sept. 15, 2023, Google discontinued assist for Google Glass.
Legacy of Google Glass
Google Glass was an early try at wearable know-how. It was launched earlier than the primary Apple Watch and Google Put on popularized smartwatches within the mainstream they usually grew to become the de facto normal wearable. As such, it entered at a time earlier than the general public was prepared to just accept an always-on and always-connected gadget. Particularly with its outstanding digital camera, many felt that it was recording them in addition to issues about its use throughout day-to-day interactions with others.
The refocusing of Google Glass on enterprise use instances injected added longevity into the challenge. It discovered some restricted use in medical and industrial fields. It was particularly helpful in instances the place the consumer wanted to maintain their arms free to perform one other job.
Google Glass was the primary try by a significant know-how firm to carry an AR gadget to market. Different firms have since launched AR gadgets, resembling Microsoft HoloLens, Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional and Meta Quest, and whereas these have discovered some success, they haven’t reached the purpose of mass market acceptance. Nonetheless, a few of the early improvements for Google Glass, resembling always-on show, voice assistant, and displaying contextual info, have turn out to be built-in into smartphones and smartwatches.
How Google Glasses work
The Google Glass working system (OS) was primarily based on a model of Android. The OS might run utility virtualization instruments referred to as Glassware which might be optimized for the gadget. Glassware allowed the gadget to ship an app to the consumer, as an alternative of a full desktop. The glasses had built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and a digital camera for taking pictures and movies.
The sensible eyewear used movement and voice recognition to course of instructions from the wearer. A touchpad was additionally out there on the glasses’ rim. To offer the requested info, the gadget relied on sending small packages of knowledge straight to the wearer by means of a micro-projector, utilizing a personal channel of communication that would solely be accessed by the consumer.
Google Glass then used a subject sequential colour (FSC) liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) system to show photographs on the lens, permitting wearers to view the picture in true colours. FSC refers to a colour tv system that transmits the first colour info in steady photographs after which depends on the human’s imaginative and prescient and notion to gather the data right into a colour image. LCOS is a type of video show know-how.
Options of Google Glass
The important thing function of Google Glass was the tiny semi-transparent display screen situated on the higher right-hand facet of the glasses. This show occupied solely about 5% of the wearer’s pure visual view and is accountable for transmitting info to the consumer.
So as to view the display screen, wearers needed to lookup, inserting the display screen out of the direct line of imaginative and prescient. This function is especially vital as a result of unhealthy placement of the show might result in critical questions of safety.
Different options of Google Glass included:
- The flexibility to take photographs and movies after which share precisely what the consumer is seeing by means of Google Hangouts.
- The choice to make use of the Google search engine by means of the glasses, utilizing Wi-Fi or a smartphone’s knowledge connection.
- The flexibility to have translations streamed straight to the wearer by means of the display screen.
- Reminders to finish sure chores or duties with an added visible facet that may immediate a notification to look on the consumer’s display screen each time they take a look at a selected object.
- The flexibility to sync the glasses to calendars saved on telephones or computer systems as a way to obtain reminders of occasions and conferences.
- Help of each voice and video calls. Within the video calls, wearers can present the opposite individual precisely what they’re as an alternative of speaking face-to-face.
- The flexibility to reply emails and textual content messages utilizing voice dictation.
- Collaboration with Google Maps to supply step-by-step instructions with a map displayed on the display screen.
- The flexibility to reply to facial and head actions, resembling permitting the consumer to tilt their head to scroll by means of a web page or function the gadget with eye actions.
Glass Enterprise Version 2
The ultimate model of Google Glass, Glass Enterprise Version 2, contains a USB-C port for quicker charging, an improved digital camera and a processing enhance from its new use of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR1 chip, which is designed particularly for augmented and digital actuality methods. The XR1 chip permits the Google Glass gadget to combine superior machine studying and laptop imaginative and prescient skills.
Security frames have been added to the design, making the glasses simpler and suitable in various work environments. Different enhancements embrace a much bigger battery that gives longer battery life, upgraded Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections and assist of Android Enterprise cellular gadget administration.
Every wearable gadget comes with computing capabilities in addition to a number of execs and cons. Find out about the advantages and administration challenges posed by enterprise wearables.