Technology

Smart glasses are still a relatively new technology.  You will not find many people walking the streets with "computer glasses" for a few more years, at least until the technology is refined and improved.  Currently, smart glasses are essentially a computer you wear on your face.  It has many of the same capabilities that a smart phone has, such as a CPU, a camera for pictures and video, RAM and storage, as well as a speaker and touchpad, as well as some new things, such as a prism projector display (P., 2014).  Many also have GPS capabilities, the ability to share photos and videos from the set, and internet connections (McDougall, 2013).  On models such as Google Glass, the battery sits behind the ear, while the rest of its features sit in front of the right ear to feed the prism projection display in front of the right eye (P., 2014).  The prism projection display is a rectangular display that sits on a hinge, so it can be adjusted to the users preference.  This display projects information and images onto the wearer's field of vision.  It is essentially an overlay of information on the individual's view.  Most models are essentially designed the same way, but with slight modifications such as goggles instead of glasses, or a piece that just sits on one ear and over one eye.

            Models like Google Glass are designed for the general public, as they require a smart phone to be connected to them, and are flimsy in their build.  They are meant for an everyday use, and are equipped with applications such as YouTube and GPS.  Other models, like the Brückner TRAVIS, are industrial models that are meant to be worn by individuals that work in industrial fields, like construction or factories (Schweizer, 2014).  These types of glasses have streaming features that allow the user to stream different forms of data in and out of the wearable glasses.  Whether for entertainment or industrial work, smart glasses have several different uses.