Is Google working on Computerized Eyewear?

Rumors and, according to 9to5Google, even evidence is surfacing that Google is testing out a new physical product on its campus, Google Glasses. 

9to5Google already wrote about this project back in December 2011 and now claims that their tipster has seen a prototype looking like Oakley Thumps. The glasses are said to display information on one lens, overlaying the transparent surface with information like temperature, incoming messages or calls, but of course there could also be GPS direction arrows displayed and so on. 

It is also said that the glasses won’t be an Android peripheral, e.g. connected to a smartphone via WiFi or Bluetooth, but that the glasses were stand alone products. This means, they would connect to the cloud via 3G, 4G or WiFi networks and that they could also be used as phones. The specs are rumored to be comparable with a generation-old Android phone. 

Putting technology into glasses makes a lot of sense as this is a commonly used accessory, either as reading glasses or shades, e.g. something we most likely carry around with us throughout the day. Pretty similar to mobile phones. And as more technology can now be put into smaller places the frame of glasses offers enough estate for chips, batteries and wiring. 

Naturally, I am pretty excited about this project as I predicted augmented glasses already in my second post for Big Think called “Future Tourists Travel with Personal Interpreters and Translating Shades” almost a year ago. Overlaying translations of signs, maps or restaurant cards or showing additional information on landmarks might be in reach.

There is also the possibility that Google is going to launch a beta trial program like they did for Google Chromebooks. And others are already one step further as Innovega already brings augmented reality contact lenses closer to reality.

Picture: woman in shades via Shutterstock