Google may soon offer a new version of its Google Glass wearable later this fall. A new report says that the company will keep the hype down on this release, as it plans to offer it to businesses working in healthcare, manufacturing, and energy.
Like I said over a year ago:
No, I think the real value of Glass lies in an entirely different area Google seems to have been ignoring so far. It’s a far less sexy area than the world of designer glasses and paragliders, but one that offers far, far more potential: ‘traditional’ workplaces. Construction. Road works. Law enforcement. The military. Farmers. Firefighters. Plumbers. Roofers. You name it. People who work with their hands in potentially dangerous environments, who can use the heads-up display for at-a-glance, crucial information while out in the field.
If I can come up with something, anybody can.
The days when common sense was the rule.
As an avid paraglidist, I can assure you that the world of paragliding has no contact with the one of designer glasses, Tag-Heuer watches and 500€ dawn jackets, but more plastic bike glasses, g-shocks and dusty track suits.
And, as you say, as a somewhat dangerous activity where you depend on real-time navigational and environmental information, it is the perfect small world where Google Glass could offer wonderful service. But as for now, I don’t think it can run uninterrupted for hours, with GPS on all the time, permanently floating flight data before your eyes.
Isn’t MicroSoft already there?
They are at the prototype phase right? Or did I miss the review on Anandtech?
VUZIX :
http://www.vuzix.com/consumer/products_m100/
999$
A bit expensive, but not extremely so as professional gear.
While they have been focusing on fun activities to advertise their glasses, it’s only been in those allegedly ignored areas where Google Glass has had some kind of adoption.
I haven’t seen yet anyone actually using Google Glass for any kind of extreme sport, but they have been used to stream surgery procedures in real time, and the multinational security company I’ve been working with for the past few years is slowly adopting them.
It makes a lot of sense that they’d focus now on those areas, but I don’t think it’d be fair to say that they have completely ignored them.