Google has filed a patent for a hardware revision to its optical wearable device, which could mean that the next iteration of the Google Glass may very well look like a conventional pair of glasses, allowing augmented reality to be fitted casually into our lives.
Google Glass didn’t really strike everyone as the promised casual wearable gadget for augmented reality. Sure, the design may looks one-of-a-kind and the experience is phenomenally new, but over time, consumers started realising they look as silly as Glass itself while wearing it. Not everyone would want an obvious camera lens pointing at their face while they are having a conversation. On top of that, it has an outrageously over priced price tag.
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Despite Google Glass’ blandness, the company has been bringing it to a wider audience and also partners with eyewear accessory company Luxottica to make Glass a little prettier to wear on. In addition, Google has been working on refining certain features with Glass — a support for prescription framed glasses for example.
Illustration from US Patent and Trademark Office
The patent, labeled D710,928 in the US Patent and Trademark Office, features an illustration of a normal looking pair of eyeglasses without a conspicuous prism outside the glasses. With that, images and content are to be expected to be projected on to the main lens itself. The temples look a little too chunky for an eyewear, however, it would probably be necessary for the battery and the computing module to be housed discreetly in them.
Not much information about the would-be “Google Glass 2” has been disclosed in the patent. Nevertheless, if Google managed to cram everything in without making it impractical, optical wearable device could catch on to become the next big thing as smartwatches are now.
[Source: 9to5Google]
