Imagine going to
Chinatown, or China, and walking through the fresh market. You want to buy some
bok choy, but you are not a Mandarin speaker.
WHAT THEN??
THE WAY OUT IS HERE!
Welcome to Google Glass
and the new “wearables”.
Your wearable computer
translates the signs into your native language and superimposes the information
onto your field of vision.
QUICK LIST OF APPLICATIONS
Google Glass does
anything a smartphone can do. It is like a smartphone with voice recognition
capability, mounted on the frames of glasses. But because it super- imposes
images onto the wearer’s vision, some applications are experienced differently
or better than on a smartphone. Here are a few of the basic functions:
• Take a Picture &
Post It Anywhere
• Take a Video &
Post It Anywhere
• Call a Friend
• Text a Friend
• Translate Language
• Get Directions
• Get Information, Find
a Website
• Record Voice, Video
or Notes
• Connect to the
Internet of Things
Google Glass is one of
the first and most advanced of a new breed of mobile computing devices called
“wearables.” Wearables augment our senses and capabilities in all sorts of
ways. Google Glass is worn on the frames of glasses. Relevant images and
information float in front of the viewer’s field of vision. The wearer can get
directions superimposed onto the landscape, or information about flights while
standing in an airport, or facts about landmarks, all without stopping to refer
to a handheld. The information is conferred to the user seamlessly. When a
digital image or information floats on top of “reality,” that is called
Augmented Reality (AR). But the capabilities extend further. The Google Glass
wearer can say, “Take a picture,” and the scene in front of the viewer is
captured. Then the picture (or video) can be shared “live” on a social network
or sent to a specific individual. All the capabilities of a mobile device (and
then some) are incorporated into the vision of the wearer.
Making computing
wearable means there is no separation between the user and the device. The
device becomes part of the user and enhances the user inherently. Why is this a
big deal? Because seamlessness removes barriers due to the limitations of one’s
native intelligence, such as lack of mathematical ability. If I have a device
like Google Glass, I could calculate exchange rates on multiple currencies on
the spot (even if my unaided ability to multiply fractions is weak). Sure, my
old smartphone could do that … sort of. But here’s the difference: a separate
device functions like a reference tool; an embedded device confers a new skill.
Google Glass: Why is it
so important?
Capability
|
Implications
& Uses
|
|
1.Augmented
Reality
|
Language
translation can be superimposed on written text and (later) by voice.
Information
or images pop up when triggered by pre-programmed location or objects or when
summoned by wearer.
|
Immediate,
hands-free language translation seamlessly removes barriers to communication.
The user is empowered to act in a variety of contexts while saving time.
The
wearer’s knowledge base is expanded by the AR overlays. Information,
instructions, entertainment or games may augment the wearer’s experience of
the world.
|
2.Hands-Free Visual/Voice Communication
|
Pictures,
videos and text can be consumed or created without interrupting other
activities.
|
Training
is enabled in any context; audits can be created, posted & responded to
faster; Research methodologies will explode.
|
3.Connecting
to the Internet of Things
|
Hands-free
commands can increase productivity and reduce mistakes, because the wearer is
in the context of decision-making (not sitting at a desk).
|
Inventory
management and ordering functions can happen with hands-free ease.
Barcode
scanning with Glasses means seamlessness between noticing that (say) the milk
is gone and ordering product.
|
Glossary
Wearables
are “miniature computers that are worn by the bearer under, with or on top of
clothing or glasses. There is a constant interaction between the computer and
user. These devices act like a prosthetic, becoming an extension of the user’s
mind and/or body.” Google Glass, an
important new wearable, floats information and images in the viewer’s vision,
overlaying graphics onto the real world. This overlay is augmented reality.
When wearable are embedded into our senses (visually or mentally), they confer
new skills. Wearables will allow us to interface with the world, armed with
superpowers of cognition. This changes my functioning as an individual, because
I have the collective knowledge of many, as well as the computational ability
of a supercomputer. A distinctive new self has been born: the Augmented Self.
The Augmented Self is the artificial expansion of a human being’s natural
cognitive capacities, including memory, sensory and social awareness, knowledge
and analytical ability, and, finally, agency. Many of these capabilities are
available to us now, but I believe that the new wearable interfaces will make
these disparate functions work synergistically to create a new kind of
consciousness.
The
Internet of Things (IoT) is changing our relationship with
our physical environment. The IoT refers to the network of physical objects,
which access the Internet. According to CISCO’13 “When an object can represents
itself digitally, it can be controlled from anywhere.” The IoT allows for
remote monitoring and control of objects, such as thermostats and light
switches, but also power plants and city streets.
Augmented
Reality (AR) is when an image or information is floating in
front of the viewer’s vision, overlaid on top of reality. So, while looking at
the Brooklyn Bridge, a viewer who has access to augmented reality could see
information about the bridge such as its height, weight, length and when it was
completed. AR is used on smartphones
today, but the user must look at the screen to see the image. Glass wearers don’t need to refer to a
separate device to get this information. They don’t interrupt their activities.
Today, gamers use the AR capability on smartphones to play in real-world
settings.
Video links
0 comments:
Post a Comment