Today, Google posted a short video showing off a view from
their new much talked about augmented reality glasses.
Augmented Reality (AR) places a tiny computer screen within
your visual frame of reference, so you can utilize technology in a whole new
way. Imagine seeing a concert poster, and then telling your glasses to call the
number on the poster to order tickets. It would be like Apple’s iPhone 4s
virtual assistant Siri being able to see.
Pretty cool indeed – and AR isn’t just limited to Google’s glasses. There are some smartphone AR games, which use the camera and GPS to
place ghosts or other characters on the screen, using your current location as
the background. You have to run around and avoid running into them.
AR is the latest in visual tech invading our mind’s eye.
Remember when 3D movies first came out? No – I’m not talking
about the current crop of movies which use polarized plastic lenses, I’m
talking about the original 3D movies, where you had cheap paper glasses, with a
piece of red and blue plastic to see through on either eye.
I remember growing up and usually around Halloween, there’d
be a scary 3D movie shown on one of the major TV networks. A fast food burger
joint like Burger King or McDonald’s usually partnered in on these things,
giving out free blue and red 3D glasses with their “happy meals.” The movies
were cheesy B-movies, and the 3D effects weren’t that good. But as it only
happened once a year, it was a different way to enjoy a night at home, with
good friends, watching really bad movies.
These days, 3D movies are a lot better – the technology to
produce, show and view them as changed quite a bit since the B-Movie horror
days of my youth.
But you still have to wear those blasted glasses, which are
never comfortable, especially for people like me that already wear glasses to
see.
Now that we have 3D tech on TVs, that too is changing. Some
of the major TV manufacturers are already testing out models which display 3D video, without having to wear those awful 3D glasses.
However, Google’s taken things to the next level, by
incorporating high-tech glasses into our reality – to augment our reality with
a smartphone.
The potential uses for AR glasses are mind-blowing. Doctors
could perform surgery with greater precision, guided by their AR glasses. You’d
never get lost walking in a strange neighborhood, as your AR glasses would clearly
show you the way.
Forget your grocery list at home? No problem, your AR
glasses would tell you what you need to buy, as you visually scan the grocery
store shelves.
While at a party, you’d never forget anyone’s name, as your
AR glasses could show you the person’s name, and complete contact details as
you talked to them. You could even add each other to your social networks
instantly, tweet about the conversation, or snap a picture or video of it
instantly, without lifting your phone – just use your AR glasses.
Augmented Reality is a very cool way of seeing the future. I
just hope the AR glasses are more comfortable than those blasted 3D ones we
have to wear to watch movies.
