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A hacker creates his own version of Google Project Glass

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Re: A hacker creates his own version of Google Project Glass

#31

Post by regularfry »

AdamFernandez wrote: post #13

What he did is very impressive, and I understand he was attempting to replicate what appeared in the Project Glass video, but why does all the graphical interaction have to obscure the user's vision (for Project Glass and his live demo)? The icons layout horizontally too close to the center of your view. If the whole point is to have this augmented experience, the user still needs to have a mostly unobstructed view o…

One difference between this and Google Glass is that Glass is monocular. Unless you're blind in one eye, you will be able to see "through" the projection.

I also don't think the representation in the Glass demo video is accurate: I'd expect the images it projects to add to the background rather than replace it entirely. I don't think they could make an "opaque" projection if they wanted to.

Re: A hacker creates his own version of Google Project Glass

#32

Post by ctdonath »

nextparadigms wrote: post #28

I still think Google made a big mistake showcasing their product a year earlier. It reminds me of when they showed ChromeOS one and a half years before it actually launched. What's the point of doing that? Sure you might get some benefit from the feedback, but I believe the disadvantages of showing it so much earlier are much bigger than the benefits. And user feedback doesn't even mean that much when you're trying t…

Apple understands this, not showing a new product or concept until it is either unavoidable or available. What the Glass video shows is an idea whose time has come: all the pieces are ready, just needs someone to fuse it all together in a robust affordable manner which - and here's the hard part - will behave the way people will want it to when they see it done right. Having released the video prematurely, everyone will be jumping on the concept trying to beat Google to the punch (hey, all the pieces are out there ready to assemble); question is who is the precognitive telepath able to grok what users will want when they're given what they say they want.

Re: A hacker creates his own version of Google Project Glass

#33

Post by nooneelse »

polyfractal wrote: post #8
shazow wrote: post #5

One of the professors in my school, Steve Mann[1], is notorious for working on wearable computing devices for three decades now. There's a small group of niche hackers[2] who are into this kind of thing, but it's definitely not a new phenomenon. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Mann [2] http://www.wearcam.org/computing.html/

I've been wanting to build myself an EyeTap for the longest time. It must be vindicating to Steve Mann to see this idea of wearable computing going "mainstream"

If Google used Mann's "diminished reality" idea, they could replace ads we see in everyday life (billboards and the like) with some ratio of information chosen by the user and ads from Google. Thus, using g-Glasses, one might see a net reduction in the amount of advertising one is subjected to. And Google could tell billboard companies to pay a toll if they ever want to get through the filter.

What about that HNers who lamented that a Google wearable will be plastered with ads, what if it reduced the overall number of ads you saw?

Re: A hacker creates his own version of Google Project Glass

#34

Post by seanp2k2 »

bayleo wrote: post #26
jgrahamc wrote: post #9

I certainly don't want to bad mouth a guy who builds something cool, but there's a significant difference between this and Project Glass. He states in his blog post ( http://www.willpowell.co.uk/blog/?p=210 ) The Vuzix glasses are driven by stereoscopic feeds, which are fed by the HD cameras. What he's seeing is coming through the cameras. He's not looking at reality with an overlaid display. The glasses he is using…

This got me thinking about whether "fly-by-wire" vision will ever be viable (or preferable) to human vision and how various sight impairments would be dealt with using such a system. Certainly myopia would be a trivial fix since the image could be placed directly in front of the eye, but how would you correct for hyperopia without a convex lens between the eye and the display?

>"without a convex lens between the eye and the display"

I hardly see that as even a problem :)

prescription displays? Sounds like a big profit winner.

Re: A hacker creates his own version of Google Project Glass

#35

Post by dskhatri »

shazow wrote: post #5

One of the professors in my school, Steve Mann[1], is notorious for working on wearable computing devices for three decades now. There's a small group of niche hackers[2] who are into this kind of thing, but it's definitely not a new phenomenon. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Mann [2] http://www.wearcam.org/computing.html/

Mann is a Media Lab alum. The Media Lab did extensive work on wearable computing a decade ago [1]. Rich DeVaul [2] is another alum who worked extensively on wearable computing there, and is possibly involved in Project Glass.

[1] http://www.media.mit.edu/wearables [2] http://devaul.net/

Re: A hacker creates his own version of Google Project Glass

#36

Post by seanp2k2 »

shazow wrote: post #5

One of the professors in my school, Steve Mann[1], is notorious for working on wearable computing devices for three decades now. There's a small group of niche hackers[2] who are into this kind of thing, but it's definitely not a new phenomenon. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Mann [2] http://www.wearcam.org/computing.html/

IIRC Mitch Altman (Noisebridge co-founder and all-around general awesome dude) is pretty into VR stuff: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_Altman

>"it's definitely not a new phenomenon" Agreed 100%, but Google and Apple could push it into mainstream...and for most people, I'm guessing that it'd be their first encounter with AR / VR.

Re: A hacker creates his own version of Google Project Glass

#38

Post by Permit »

What? This seems about as legitimate as the guy who built the flying suit. I would have thought there'd have been more skepticism from HN regarding a product like this that was built in a day.

At the very least, he puts the glasses on his face, but the camera is filming from above his head...

Re: A hacker creates his own version of Google Project Glass

#39

Post by grepherder »

ctdonath wrote: post #32
nextparadigms wrote: post #28

I still think Google made a big mistake showcasing their product a year earlier. It reminds me of when they showed ChromeOS one and a half years before it actually launched. What's the point of doing that? Sure you might get some benefit from the feedback, but I believe the disadvantages of showing it so much earlier are much bigger than the benefits. And user feedback doesn't even mean that much when you're trying t…

Apple understands this, not showing a new product or concept until it is either unavoidable or available. What the Glass video shows is an idea whose time has come: all the pieces are ready, just needs someone to fuse it all together in a robust affordable manner which - and here's the hard part - will behave the way people will want it to when they see it done right. Having released the video prematurely, everyone w…

I think your statement is somehow not well thought out, and by "your" statement I mean "almost everyone's" actually, I just semi-randomly picked out yours to comment on because it captures my counter-argument well. You're saying Google released the video prematurely, based on your assumption google does not want everyone to try beat Google to the punch. It's obvious that Google is well aware that every piece to realize this tech is out there already. What I don't understand is how it is not immediately obvious to everyone that Google wants this idea out there, for people to experiment with it, for people to share their thoughts about UX concerning such a piece of technology which is what they really need at this point to develop this product.

The linked video and the comments it generates are an excellent example of this.

Re: A hacker creates his own version of Google Project Glass

#40

Post by jasonwatkinspdx »

bayleo wrote: post #26
jgrahamc wrote: post #9

I certainly don't want to bad mouth a guy who builds something cool, but there's a significant difference between this and Project Glass. He states in his blog post ( http://www.willpowell.co.uk/blog/?p=210 ) The Vuzix glasses are driven by stereoscopic feeds, which are fed by the HD cameras. What he's seeing is coming through the cameras. He's not looking at reality with an overlaid display. The glasses he is using…

This got me thinking about whether "fly-by-wire" vision will ever be viable (or preferable) to human vision and how various sight impairments would be dealt with using such a system. Certainly myopia would be a trivial fix since the image could be placed directly in front of the eye, but how would you correct for hyperopia without a convex lens between the eye and the display?

With a holographic combiner.

We already use Fly By Wire Vision in some cases, even with the engineering drawbacks of current devices: namely night vision for the military.

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