14 DAY TRIAL // Glasses with built-in displays and/or cameras already exist, which means that pairs with augmented reality functions are just one step away.
Sure, that one step might not be the smallest in history, but it's still just one step. Google has already introduced its idea for taking it.
Dubbed Project Glass, it has the form of a monocle, of sorts. Well, it's really more of a one-ear headset/monocle hybrid really.
Now we see that there is already another technology developer that wants to challenge Google on this front: Fraunhofer.
Based in Germany, the company has actually been researching the concept for years. The first description of the tech was provided in 2009 and a prototype was revealed last year (2011).
There was a monochrome 320 x 240 AMOLED display in front of the right eye. The viewing angle was of 32 degrees and the brightness of 1,500 cd/m2.
Now, an even newer version has been brought forth, one that we really, truly hope won't actually look like those... things in the image.
An evaluation kit will be put on display at SID 2012, at the beginning of June, with VGA 640 x 480 resolution and, possibly, a better camera too, one that could serve in photography perhaps. The first one only managed 160 x 120 pixels in monochrome.
For our part, we feel that Google's Project Glass is better-looking and has the advantage of ease of use inherent in voice activation. On the flip side, Frunhofer's invention is eye-controlled: an eye-tracking technology interprets movements, blinks, etc.
Ideally, augmented reality glasses/headsets/helmets will come to use both types of input eventually. Who knows, maybe Fraunhofer and Google will collaborate. There is potential in both camps, they just have to tap into it and, as we said, hopefully not wind up with the picture of utter hideousness.