Augmented reality (AR) was, for a long time, the stuff of science fiction. Watching science fiction films in the 1980s and 1990s, audiences were given a peek at the world through the eyes of a cyborg (an organism with technological enhancements), its field of vision overlaid with data, such as the make and model of a car or the threat level posed by an opponent. More recently, AR tech has appeared in the impressive, near infallible armor of superhero movies.
The average consumer may not be able to buy a superhero suit at the local mall (just yet), but if you’ve ever played around with a smartphone app that displays star constellations, then you’re familiar with the concept in its modern-day incarnations.
Augmented reality (AR) glasses simply apply the technology to a wearable accessory.
What are AR glasses?
AR smart glasses vary in shape, size and design, but the thing they all have in common is the enhancement of reality with digital overlays.
There are plenty of reasons people might want to augment their actual experiences with helpful information and data. For instance, imagine sitting in the stands at a football game. While you watch the action, your AR glasses display pertinent stats, scores and player data. Likewise, if you’re walking down the street looking for a place to eat, your AR glasses can display local options, including restaurant ratings and reviews.
Over the past decade, AR glasses have evolved from being wildly expensive, clunky and experimental to being discreet and functional.
Nowhere is this trend more apparent than in the world of gaming. Consumers of video games are excited at the prospect of immersing themselves in their favorite adventures, but the average gamer is reluctant (if not unable) to shell out thousands of dollars for gaming equipment, no matter how amazing the experience is reported to be.
This has opened up an opportunity for companies that can deliver even the basic functionality at a reasonable price, and several organizations purportedly have prototypes in the works.
How do AR glasses work?
There is a wide range of functionality in AR glasses, but in general, the devices use a front facing camera in concert with software that can recognize certain anchors and landmarks.
For instance, if you use AR software designed to help you decorate your home, the software will recognize things like the frame of a window, or the corner where two walls come together. With that data, the software can generate images of curtains and potted plants and “place” them in your field of view by projecting them onto the lens of the glasses on your face.
Of course, this is just one example — in truth, functionality is limited only by the creativity of the developers.
Here are just a few examples of functionality that different companies are working on:
- With the integration of a microphone, AR glasses can communicate with voice controlled searches, the results popping up right before your eyes.
- Using simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms, your smart AR glasses can gauge the area around you so that you can use hand gestures to control the images you see.
- Having message alerts that appear discreetly in the field of view that can be noted and dismissed without the interruption of pulling out your phone.
- With integrated GPS technology, virtual arrows will float up into view and help you find your way so that you never get lost again.
If it seems amazing that functionality like this could come in a package as slim and lightweight as a pair of glasses, consider that all of this and more is already being integrated into smart contact lenses.
Cameras that can be controlled with the blink of an eye are being developed along with miniature solar panel technology. What’s more, immediately touching the body could allow smart contact lenses to monitor all kinds of health data, from glaucoma symptoms to blood sugar levels.
AR glasses vs. VR glasses
The main difference between virtual reality (VR) glasses and AR glasses is the degree to which reality is changed when you look through them. While AR glasses overlay information on your actual view of the world, VR simulates an entirely different reality.
For this reason, VR tends to utilize increasingly immersive equipment. Instead of glasses, VR is often delivered via a more cumbersome headset. Generally, the gear includes speakers to engage the user’s auditory senses; in some cases, gear may also involve body coverings that can deliver haptic (touch) stimulation.
The aim of VR is to give the impression that the user is somewhere else. The advantage of AR technology over VR is that it allows the user to work, play and interact with the world around them, as it is, with the benefit of additional information.
For companies, the use of AR glasses in training and remote collaboration is helping to connect employees that are geographically diverse. During the 2020-21 pandemic, AR glasses have allowed companies to continue with training and maintain uniformity in execution of tasks, despite the constraints of social distancing.
For the average consumer, AR technology has the potential to integrate smartphone functionality (and more) into our lives via an accessory we are already familiar and comfortable with: our glasses.
What companies are working on AR glasses?
There are literally dozens of companies working to create and innovate AR glasses and hundreds more aiming to provide apps that will integrate our smartphones with the new technology. From gaming to education to industry, the possibilities are limited only by what developers can imagine.
The augmented road ahead
Augmented reality is no longer the stuff of science fiction. Companies all over the world are working on ways to make the tech more integrated and user-friendly, and AR glasses are at the forefront of that revolution. In time, AR glasses could be indiscernible from regular glasses. The price tags may also be comparable.
If you haven’t had your eyes and vision checked recently, contact your eye doctor to schedule a comprehensive eye examination.
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