14 DAY TRIAL // The Google Glass might be one of the most controversial pieces of technology we have seen so far, but given the appeal and buzz created around it, more and more companies seem willing to give building such a product a shot.
In an interesting turn of events, photography gear manufacturer Olympus has been revealed as having an interest in developing a Google Glass competitor. The wearable ecosystem seems to be attracting more and more players, but Olympus is the odd ball here.
43Rumors reports stumbling upon a patent filed by Olympus that details a pair of smart glasses barring the resemblance of the Google Glass. Of course, there are subtle differences to be noticed here and there, including a visibly larger display, but the raw concept remains the same.
The patent reveals several illustrations detailing devices and one of them, in particular, shows that the Olympus Glass might come boasting dual-displays. In translation, there’s a miniature display laid on top of each eye piece.
Sadly, the images make up the bulk of the patent, so there’s little information available about further specifications concerning the possible Olympus Glass.
Naturally, the smart glasses will come bundled with a camera, and I think this feature will be setting the Glass apart from their competitors. Olympus is probably going to make use of its expertise in the department and bundle the wearable with something advanced.
The Olympus Glass also appears to sport so-called “temple parts” or “ear pieces” and at least one of them has an electric component.
The patent talks about captured images being “transmitted from the front part to the temple-side electrical/electronic part.”
It remains quite interesting to see where Olympus’ ambitions lie with this project. Anyway, we should remind you earlier Olympus patents have described how the live view image from a camera could be projected to the screen of a head-mounted wearable devices.
Combine the two patents and a door to a whole set of interesting possibilities awaits wide open. Certainly, an Olympus Glass will be a photocentric wearable, and it would be intriguing to follow the developments of the concept.
Last month, information surfaced that Samsung is planning to take up the Glass game too. Already an important presence on the wearable market, Sammy is planning to expand its portfolio of devices.
The most recent report, claimed that the so-called Gear Glass will be unveiled as soon as September at the IFA 2014 show in Berlin, alongside the Galaxy Note 4 smartphone and will run Tizen OS out of the box.
