AI-enhanced smart glasses could revolutionize wearable technology

The 2014 Google Glass debacle tarnished smart glasses, but the devices may be poised for a comeback.

Despite the glaring failure of Google Glass, Meta and Google are among the next generation of smart glasses that seem to combine fashion, functionality and generative AI into a compelling form factor, Jean Munster, Managing Partner. Deepwater Asset ManagementA venture capital firm in Minneapolis.

Writing on the firm’s website Friday, Munster noted, “I believe their optimism is due to a combination of recognition of consumer gravitation toward easy-to-use technology and greater confidence in what generative AI can add to the equation.”

“General AI is paving the way toward complex wearable ambient computing,” he wrote. “In other words, the current goal is to create glasses that look and feel like ‘normal glasses,’ but with access to generative AI through voice activation, cameras and sensors.”

“This means,” he continued, “your glasses will understand the physical world around you, ready to give you any information about it, such as ‘What kind of plant am I looking at?’ or ‘Did you see where I put my keys?’

Munster predicts that the annual market for smart glasses will reach several million units in the next decade, leading Apple to refocus its spatial computing initiatives to align with Meta and Google wearables.

From gadgets to essential tools

“AI has been a game-changer in making smart glasses more functional and user-friendly,” said Timothy BatesClinical Professor of Cyber ​​Security at the University of Michigan-Flint College of Innovation and Technology.

“My work with AI-powered immersive technology has shown that AI’s ability to personalize and enhance user interactions is vital,” he told TechNewsWorld. “Whether it’s through voice-activated control or context-aware information delivery, AI transforms smart glasses from a mere gadget to an essential tool, increasing their appeal in both the consumer and enterprise markets.”

AI has the potential to significantly increase the appeal of smart glasses to mainstream users by providing personalized, context-aware experiences,” added Mark N. Vena, President and Chief Analyst SmartTech Research In Las Vegas.

“With AI, smart glasses can provide real-time translation, proactive notifications and personalized content recommendations based on user habits and preferences,” he told TechNewsWorld.

Advanced voice and gesture recognition powered by AI allows for more intuitive hands-free control, making devices easier and more natural to use,” he continued. “AI-powered augmented reality capabilities can deliver helpful information such as navigation prompts or product details directly into the user’s view, enhancing everyday tasks and interactions.”

“By continuously learning and adapting to individual user behavior, AI can make smart glasses more responsive, useful and engaging, leading to greater consumer adoption,” added Vena.

Exceptional audio

Tim Bazarin, its president creative strategyA technology consulting firm in San Jose, Calif., noted that he can take pictures of what he sees with the 12-megapixel camera on his Ray-Ban Meta wafers by pressing a button on the side of the glasses.

“A recent feature lets you share what you’re watching with friends,” he told TechNewsWorld. “That way, I never miss getting a camera shot without taking out my smartphone.”

“The audio from these smart glasses is exceptional,” he said. “I use this feature to listen to podcasts or music anytime instead of taking out my AirPods for that purpose.”

“And when I need directions or information, I just say, ‘Hey Meta, where’s the nearest breakfast place to me?’ And it gives me immediate name, location and directions,” he observed.

Ray-Ban | Meta Smart Glasses (Video Credit: Meta)

“It can also do a search,” he continued, “and if you’re traveling and trying to read a menu in French, your smart glasses can translate the text for you using their built-in camera and Meta AI, giving you your The information you need without taking out the phone or looking at the screen.”

“The battle is really about how a wearable works with a phone,” added Matt Hames, associate vice president of digital and social strategy. 3 Enrollment MarketingA provider of marketing strategies to increase student enrollment in higher education in Oneonta, NY

“Tech companies are leaving VR and getting into wearables that can work on phones,” he told TechNewsWorld.

Importance of fashion, aesthetics

Ross Rubin, Principal Analyst Reticle ResearchA New York City-based consumer technology advisory firm, emphasized that Meta’s collaboration with Ray-Ban is significant. “It shows the role of fashion and aesthetics in this segment where people are potentially wearing something on their face all day,” he told TechNewsWorld.

“One of the reasons Google Glass got such flak was because it was so transparent,” he said. “No one wears monocles like Borg, whereas people wear Ray-Ban style sunglasses. If you look closely, you’ll see that they’re a bit thicker, but it’s definitely to the point where it’s hard to tell them apart from normal glasses.”

Jitesh Ubrani, Research Manager at Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers IDCA market research firm based in Framingham, Mass. noted that improvements in both design and technology have made the segment more attractive than Google Glass.

He told TechNewsWorld, “Incorporating AI has also improved the overall usability and utility of smart glasses, which have been simplified from using traditional headphone replacements in the past.

Despite these improvements, the segment is still not in the category where the market wants technology, maintains Rob Enderle, president and chief analyst. Enderle GroupBend, Ore. is an advisory services firm.

“The market wants something that has more augmented reality functionality without sacrificing the weight and battery life of the current batch,” he told TechNewsWorld. “Sadly, the technology isn’t there yet to make that happen.”

Apple’s future smart glasses?

While Apple has been tight-lipped about the future of spatial computing in its Vision Pro product company, Munster believes it can’t resist the siren song of smart glasses.

“While I agree that Vision Pro (a) has a meaningful opportunity to become a (US) $25-50 billion annual business, I believe that future versions of their spatial computing hardware will map to Google and Mate’s smart glasses lineup,” he wrote.

“Within the next five years, I expect companies to start announcing these next-generation wearables,” he added. “My confidence is based on a belief that there is more utility in a mixed reality headset versus smart glasses, and Apple not entering the market would be a costly miss.”

Senior analyst with Anshel Sag Moore Insights and StrategiesA technology analyst and advisory firm based in Austin, Texas, agreed that Apple will develop smart glasses in parallel with its more powerful spatial computing offerings. “Smart glasses are almost like a gateway drug to spatial computing,” he told TechNewsWorld, “because you can appreciate how much better the experience can be with real-world displays and 3D graphics.”