Google is providing the first public glimpse of the augmented-reality glasses being developed by its Google X research group under the name “Project Glass.”
But the initial images shown by the Project Glass team via its Google+ page reveal that the “glasses” aren’t really glasses in the traditional sense.
Instead they’re frames that house a small device on one side and put a mini display in the periphery of one eye — making the wearer look like a fashionable cyborg.
In the video above, the company shows how the glasses would work, using the display in connection with a wireless connection, voice recognition, a camera and other components to assist the person wearing the glasses — overlaying interactive graphics such as map data on top of the real world to assist the wearer as he or she moves around throughout the day.
“We think technology should work for you—to be there when you need it and get out of your way when you don’t,” the team explains in its post. “A group of us from Google[x] started Project Glass to build this kind of technology, one that helps you explore and share your world, putting you back in the moment.”
In some ways, the glasses represent the evolution of technologies like Apple’s existing Siri virtual assistant for the iPhone.
Why unveil them now? The New York Times and Reuters say the Project Glass team will be testing prototypes in public. The New York Times reported previously that the glasses would go on sale this year, but the Google team doesn’t mention that possibility.
What do you think? Would you use these glasses in public, and how much would you pay for them?