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Originally Posted On: What Are Smart Glasses (& Why Do We Need Them?) – LUCYD eShop

 

The 2020 worldwide market size for smart glasses was valued at a massive $4.5 billion. This number is estimated to continue to grow throughout the coming years.

Glasses have always been a method for people to improve their eyesight. But, with the constant rise in technology, glasses have grown into the new must-have gadget. Imagine owning a pair of glasses similar to Tony Stark’s.

Since their release in 2013, smart glasses have been in a constant state of evolving. Keep reading for a quick guide on what smart glasses are and how you can use them in your life.

What Are Smart Glasses?

Smart glasses were initially released by Google, with the name Google Glass Explorer. But, due to it being the first of its kind, there were many problems. These problems led to the product being removed from shelves after a year and a half.

The Google Glass Explorer was envisioned to gain popularity with tech-lovers. The consumers who bought the latest smartwatches and the latest phones to hit the market. They expected everyone to rush to the store to buy a pair.

However, this demographic found the Google Glass Explorer uncomfortable to wear. They also found the design lacking a certain level of style, leading to users being unwilling to wear them in public. But mostly, they weren’t willing to pay the $1500 to own a pair.

Smart Glasses Technology

Where Google failed, modern technology companies have found ways to succeed. The technology has now evolved into a form that mixes impressive abilities with a modern style.

The technology in these smart glasses matches a lot of the technology found in mobile phones. Let’s have a quick look at a few different ways smart glasses use technology.

Bluetooth Glasses

There are now smart glasses on the market which use Bluetooth to connect to our mobile phones. Through this connection, you can make use of things like music while on the go. Gone are the days of having to worry about headphone cables tangling up in your pocket.

Speaker Glasses

Some of the latest smart glasses come with built-in speakers to allow you to listen to the music. The speakers have been placed beside the ears. This will enable you to listen to your favorite song without worrying about being cut off from your surroundings.

Camera Glasses 

Certain smart glasses have a built-in camera hidden away within the frame. These allow you to take pictures and record videos of whatever you are experiencing visually. Great for those Instagram fans.

Smart Glasses Controls

If you purchase a set of sunglasses with speakers, you will want to be able to control the music you are listening to. Most modern-day smart glasses actually have the controls built into the frame.

Set along the arms of the glasses, you will find buttons that allow you to take control. These buttons can be set up to use such functions as play/pause, skip track, and even answer phone calls.

The technological advancements in this area have even begun to recognize head movements as well. There have even been steps towards using thoughts to control smart glasses… think Clint Eastwood and the movie Firefox.

The Future of Smart Glasses

Owning a pair of sunglasses with speakers would have been unheard of 15 years ago. There is an abundance of potentially significant new technological advances on the way..

The most recent development with smart glasses is the use of augmented reality. Companies such as Facebook, Bose, and Apple are using augmented reality in new products. These products will give the users many more advantages than before.

Employing the use of AR technology, people will be able to trade smartphones for smart glasses. In another 15 years, we could find smartphones a thing of the past.

Potential Challenges Yet to Come

Companies are making daily progress turning these ideas into reality, but as always there are challenges they will face as they continue to evolve the products.. Other non-technological aspects may affect their potential success as well, and I am looking forward to seeing this space evolve.

Learning How to Use the Product 

As with all new things, learning how to use smart glasses may be a struggle for some. The developers will need to ensure they are user-friendly. They will also need to make them easily adaptable to everyday life.

Eyecare 

A traditional pair of glasses is designed to improve eyesight. Smart glasses will need to be designed in a way to consider this primary function… and stay focused on being sure the glasses do not lead to eyesight deterioration.

Safety

Owning a pair of speaker sunglasses allows you to listen to music as you walk, which is fine, but owning a pair of AR glasses will be placing information in front of its user’s eyes. This could cause the users to grow distracted and potentially get hurt.

Fashion

As we saw with the release of Google Glass Explorer, fashion is a huge aspect that needs to be considered. The ideal pair of smart glasses will look identical to a regular pair of glasses. Certain audio glasses have designed their products, so you cannot tell they contain speakers.

Take a Step Towards Stark

The possibility of being a real-life Tony Stark is potentially in the not-so-distant future. With the constant growth in technology, smart glasses will help each of us in many different ways.

The next 15 years have the potential to completely reinvent smart devices. As mentioned earlier, mobile phones may even become obsolete as smart glasses take over the market.

Has this article helped convince you to invest in a pair of smart glasses? If so, check out our tutorial page for some great videos to help get you started with this latest craze.