Tag: smart glasses

The brand has decided not to use the over-the lens prism that was selected for Google Glass.

The latest brand to have their eye – so to speak – on the smart glasses market appears to be Toshiba, which has just finished revealing their prototype in Japan at the Ceatec trade show.

While these wearables may not be ready to bump Google Glass out of the running, price may be in their favor.

So far, it looks as though the smart glasses that could be offered by Toshiba would be a bit more affordable than Google Glass, which comes with a hefty price tag, at the moment. They are currently calling this wearable technology device Toshiba Glass. While they do include a built-in projector, they are unlike the current front runner in this category in that the image that they display is simply reflected off the inside of the lens in order to provide the wearer with a kind of augmented reality display experience.

This makes the idea similar to Google’s smart glasses, but at the same time, they are rather different.

The Toshiba wearables feature a lightweight, small projector that is clipped onto one of the arms of the eyewear, close to the lens. It is that projector that reflects the image off the lens for the viewer to see in augmented reality. Google’s option also uses a projector, but its design is different in that it uses a prism over the lens in order to reflect the projected image to be seen by the wearer’s eye.

The product from Toshiba skips the use of the prism and has constructed the lens, itself, to be made up of a series of slim vertical prisms that are essentially invisible while looking directly through the lens as you would as you went about your daily routines. However, it allows an image to be projected upon them from an angle so that the wearer will be able to see it.

The specs from the company state that the device, as a whole, weighs about the same as Google Glass, at 42 grams. That said, they aren’t quite up to that level, particularly in that they are not wireless, as a battery in the projector would make the weight too high.

A wearable device makes it easier for people to interact with the digital world using smart glasses.

Waterloo-based Canadian startup, Thalmic Labs, has developed innovative wearable technology, an armband known as Myo, which gives the wearer the ability to control movements on a screen with a simple flick of their wrist, and the company has announced this technology has been integrated with Google Glass.

The wearable tech will make it easier for people in certain industries to use Glass as they go about their day.

The hand gesture armband could be particularly beneficial to individuals who work in industries such as construction and healthcare, where being able to use hands-free digital technology could be highly advantageous.

The Myo armband utilizes sensors to detect muscle movements in the wearer’s forearm when they make a hand signal. The wearable technology translates the gesture that was made on a screen. Thalmic Labs has said that it is working to change consumer gaming experiences, controlling a desktop computer, and online interactions with its device.

However, now the company is going one step further and will also be targeting workers in healthcare, field service, and construction. In these industries, giving workers on the move the advantage of using subtle finger and hand gestures, while interacting with smart glasses, makes a lot of sense.

Thalmic Labs co-founder Matthew Bailey said that “We’re literally changing the way that we, as people, interact with the digital world around us.” He added that the company is looking to find more ways to naturally merge people and technology. He commented that “We’re hitting the limits of today’s form factors whether they be personal computers, tablets, or smartphones. We believe wearable computing is the next progression in that evolution.”

The wearable technology can instantly interact with apps on smart glasses.

According to Stephen Lake, CEO and co-founder, the armband gives wearers the power to interact with smart glass applications without the person needing another controller or having to remove gloves. Thus, users will not require remote controls, buttons, touch pads, or voice control, all of which can slow down their ability to quickly access the information they need. This makes the technology ideal in noisy work environments and in those where maintaining sterility is vital.

Thalmic Lab’s public launch of its wearable technology will take place next month. Currently, more than 40,000 Myo armbands have been pre-ordered.