Google Glass Isn't the Future - But It Paves an Interesting Path

When information first started leaking about Google’s augmented reality headset, Google Glass, the tech industry instantly clamored over the profound effect it would have on the entire technology industry. Google took the challenge of introducing a novel product category that people had never seen outside of science fiction, and reactions ranged from erratic excitement to critical caution. It was a risky move, but Google had a plan to make sure the technology lived up to the many promises it had made.

As it turns out, Glass didn’t quite live up to all of these promises, but Google still released an impressive prototype that suggests great things to follow.

I’ve been working on a research project involving Glass for the past 4 months or so, and have gotten a chance to develop for, tinker with, and evaluate many aspects of the hardware. I also had the opportunity to experiment with smaller side projects for these smart glasses during this time, including an Imgur client triggered by the phrase “OK Glass, waste my time,” and a simple modification to the hardware itself which improves usability and the cultural stigma of wearing Glass in public dramatically (pictured below).

Developing for Glass

The first thing I investigated upon getting a hold of Google Glass was how well it worked as a base piece of hardware. At its most basic, Glass is comprised of a trackpad, a camera (which was much higher quality than I expected from such a small unit), and a small glass prism. This prism projects a floating rectangular display – using the power of magic and dreams, I assume – which appears to hover in front of your face whenever the hardware is active. Though a far cry from the initial claim of “augmented reality,” it’s still very cool to experience.

Glass suffers certain usability issues, as is to be expected from a first-generation product. The general paradigm of the trackpad has the user swipe back and forth to scroll through lists, swipe down to go back, and tap to select a menu item. However, the trackpad often confuses gestures, resulting in some frustration when attempting to navigate menus quickly. The battery life of the unit is also abysmal: if you plan on using Glass for any extended period of time, you may be out of luck. (Google has actually stated that Glass is designed to be used in short bursts in their Do’s and Don’ts for Glass Explorers, which may be partially due to the battery life issue.)

I’ve also observed other minor issues about the hardware, such as the fact that the unit runs hot under any sort of load, and the fact that the frame design has nothing to keep the Glass on your left ear should you decide to look down, creating a fear of moving your head too quickly while wearing it. Both of these concerns illustrate some shortcomings in design for the device, which likely should have been considered more highly for a unit Google wants people to wear on their faces.

In short, here’s how I see the Google Glass headset as a developer:

Through the Looking Glass

The technology behind Glass is innovative, there’s no doubt about that. However, I believe it’s important to consider the cultural implications of disruptive products such as this. Glass is as much a fashion accessory as it is a gadget, as it requires users to wear it through most of the day in order to capitalize on its utility. With this role, it is expected that Glass provide its functionality without otherwise impairing the wearer’s day to day life.

However, this is not the case. In my experience wearing Glass, I spent the entire day making a semi-conscious effort to look past the little magic prism that resided directly in front of my face. In conversations with others, I noticed that Glass obstructed some interactions, and observed those with whom I was speaking looking back and forth between my eyes and the suspiciously unassuming camera that also happened to be staring at them from beside my eyes.

Another interesting aspect of Glass is that no one knows what you’re seeing. All anybody else can see while the wearer interacts with Glass is that person swiping and tapping on the trackpad, leaving others to simply stand there and look bewildered. This leaves a large amount of ambiguity, more so than when someone takes out their phone to respond to a text (or even checks a notification on a smart watch, for that matter). This wouldn’t be an issue if there weren’t already privacy concerns surrounding Glass, such as whether or not a person is being filmed by the unit at any time.

Now, this doesn’t even take into account the cultural status of Glass. Glass is one of the most expensive and distinguished gadgets on the market, and is really only worn by the tech-savvy and rich. People’s reactions to seeing it in public can be radical, with multiple accounts of wearers being mugged for the headset, particularly on the West Coast. Clearly, those with criminal intent see Glass as an easy target, which isn’t easy to argue with.

Even so, the majority of people I came across were genuinely interested in the technology and excited for the opportunity to try it. Many of those who tried the hardware took a while to adjust to Glass’ unique control paradigm, and were generally enthralled by the unprecedented experience, yet skeptical of the device’s use case. It’s worth noting that I never wore the device in public areas – only in my place of work and in certain buildings around my university – but I never had any reactions as violent or derogatory as some Glass Explorers have experienced. Overall, there was a wide spectrum of reactions ranging from the most whimsical enjoyment to a generally unimpressed “huh,” though the device seemed to have an inexplicable allure to most/all of the people who approached me.

The Future Google Created

Given all of these critiques, as technologists, we have to remember that Glass is a first-generation product. Google not only had the task of creating a product people would love to use, they also had to lay the groundwork for an entire genre of wearable tech – and in this task, they have set the path for a very interesting future.

The design of Glass is inescapably distinctive, which results in a “double-edged sword” challenge. On one hand, it will probably never truly be accepted into popular culture in its current form, as it’s just too different for many people to comfortably handle. On the other hand, this shock factor lowers the risk of entry for other Glass competitors who want to create more normal-looking smart glasses. With Glass having gained the amount of notoriety it has, the public has been forcibly adjusted to accept that this sort of technology is out there, and a company that can manage to fit this technology in a more accepted form could have the golden ticket to making these gadgets practical.

Glass has also offered solutions to several of the problems facing the genre of smart glasses, such as interaction style, control layouts, and potential intrusiveness. While these solutions aren’t bulletproof by any means, they give competitors a template to base their future efforts on, and provide a concrete implementation of the ideas needed to make a device like this a success.

Personally, I believe the future of these devices will rest on what competitors do to ensure that their products succeed as fashion accessories, as well as gadgets. The smartwatch industry faces the same issue, and both of these subclasses of wearable tech have a ways to go before they become ingrained in society in the same way as the smartphone, if that’s even achievable for these devices. Most (if not all) of the technology needed for this revolution already exists, it’s just a matter of putting it together in an appealing and practical way – and then proving a practical use case that will entice people to bite the bullet and accept these devices as the wave of the future.