Smart glasses have never looked nicer. Intel’s Vaunt smart glasses differ from others of its class by beaming notifications directly onto the retina using low-power lasers. Plus, it actually looks like a pair of glasses rather than a heads-up display harness.
The glasses are light enough to be worn daily without feeling fatigued according to The Verge. It connects to devices via Bluetooth, and the prototype only features a select few sensors – an accelerometer and a compass.
The sensors are used in conjunction with a specially developed Intel processor built into the glasses itself to detect motion, gestures, and other control movements. Right now the prototype lacks a microphone, but future products may feature one so it can work with voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant. Intel is essentially building an A.I. into your smart glasses.
Using the Vaunt is apparently just like getting a new pair of glasses – the frame can be fitted with prescription lenses while the electronic components live on both stems of the glasses, including the laser module. Intel said that the laser used in the Vaunt are low-powered class-one lasers, so it should not be detrimental to the eyes when used for long periods of time.
Content is displayed onto a user’s field of view by bouncing the laser on the lens which is then reflected back to the eyes. The Verge says that the monochrome display (which has a resolution of 400 x 150 pixels) was unobtrusive enough that it becomes second nature after a short familiarisation period with it.
The end goal of the Vaunt project according to Intel is to not just offer unobtrusive notifications but also ambient and contextual information when needed. While the project is still in its infancy, some hypothetical scenarios include displaying voice-activated search results, location-aware information, silent GPS navigation, and more.
It is also meant to supplement rather than replace our current smart devices. To expand the ecosystem, Intel will be launching an “early access program” where developers can purchase a pair of Vaunt smart glasses and create apps for it. This includes apps that can run independently on the smart glasses or in conjunction with a smartphone.
There is no set date when end consumers can get their hands on a pair of these smart glasses. If and when it comes to the market, are consumers ready to have information beamed directly into their eyeballs? Or will this be a super small niche for certain market segments? In both ways this could be an interesting development in the augmented reality space.
(Source: The Verge)
