Smart glasses are Rising From the Ashes of Google Glass Failure

The ultimate goal of technology is to become so much a part of daily routine that it is practically invisible, enabling a better life without compromise.

Nevertheless, technology requires time to engage with the environment to reach this stage. As English author, Douglas Adams once said, “Technology is a word that describes something that doesn’t work yet.”

However, Google’s company X which pursues “radical technologies” at its Moonshots factory in California, intends to achieve “ten-times more impact on the world’s most intractable problems, not just 10% improvement.” It was this mission that led to the launch of one of company X’s first projects, Google Glass, focused on smart glasses comprising a wearable computer that could also be a hands-free smartphone with camera, calendar, maps, other apps, and the ability to access a mobile internet browser.    

Infact, the inspiration for Google Glass was the reach for a seamless transition from digital lives into in-the-moment physical lives. As Dr Astro Teller, CEO of X, said, “We’re building it to make digital life more elegantly and seamlessly integrated into physical life, or even to remove those barriers entirely.”

However, as Google Glass Explorer reached out to people asking how a wearable device could help their daily lives, Google was admitting it had not identified a problem for the smart glasses to solve, when it put them in the hands of the consumer in 2013. Mark Frydenberg, professor of computer science at Bentley University, said, “The problem was that the device wasn't quite ready for prime time.”

There were also concerns like carcinogenic radiation from the smart glasses emanating close to the brain, heating up of the device, a short battery life, unworkability with languages other than U.K. or U.S. English, and a high cost of the product around $1,500.

So, while it spurred the wearable tech industry to extraordinary heights, Google Glass did not become the hot trend of wearables as expected, because consumers did not know what to use the smart glasses for. They just viewed it as a bulky, bug-ridden device, which was ultimately discontinued after 18 months.

Despite this failure, Google Glass provided an archetype for later smart glasses producers to refine. For instance, the speakers were placed on the ear rests, and the central processing unit (CPU) was placed on the arm of one ear rest. The microphone was hung under one hinge while the camera was placed at the temple of the glasses.

The lesson that Google Glass taught its successors is to pay attention to the aesthetics, in order to attract customers. Close to a decade after the Google flop, stylish smart glasses like Jins Meme, Meta Pro and WISEUP appeared, but made only a modest impact on the market because of limited functionality. Nevertheless, they are an interesting exercise of inserting headphones and cameras into regular-looking sunglasses.

Moreover, as Millennials and Gen Zers crowd the market with their contemporary perspective on what is convenient living, they are providing options for producers of consumer products. For instance, Facebook is partnering with the Italian eyewear conglomerate Luxottica, which is also the biggest company in the eyewear industry, to produce augmented-reality (AR) Ray Ban glasses, which could ultimately replace smartphones. Internally known as “Orion,” these smart glasses are planned for release to the market by 2023, 2024 by latest by 2025.

As the current generation of buyers are fully engaged with online purchasing, the future of marketing appears to be trending online, bringing to attention the relevance of Designer Optics, a one of the largest online marketplaces for prescription sunglasses and eyeglasses.

As Designer Optics spokesperson, Aron Ekstein, says, the company, founded in Brooklyn, New York, in 2011, aims to offer customers “the best of both worlds” – “designer eyewear at the lowest possible prices.” He says, “From Gucci to Prada, Tom Ford and more, we have a huge variety of frames - all at prices that just about anyone can afford.”

Ekstein, who is also an eyeglasses expert, says, “At Designer Optics, we cut and edge all of the lenses for our frames in our state-of-the-art, cutting-edge lab.” He draws attention to the Briot eMotion Edging System, which he describes as “an all-in-one finishing lab, with a specialized space-saving design.” This equipment, fitted with 3D mapping technology and a multi-axis tracing system, focuses on “edging, drilling holes for frames, grooving, bevels, and polishing.”

Speaking of the different contemporary demands for eyewear qualities, Ekstein focuses on an essential requirement for eyewear today, anti-reflective lenses that provide a clearer vision, reduce glare and eye strain while preventing dry eyes. He gives useful insight into the Crizal anti-reflective coating options that Designer Optics provides. They are Crizal Easy UV, Crizal Alize, Crizal Avance, Crizal Sapphire 360 UV, and Crizal Prevencia, all accompanied by an authenticating certificate from Essilor International, a French-based international ophthalmic optics company.

Furthermore, Ekstein speaks of the research that Designer Optics initially conducted to understand what customers seek in eyewear. Their research pointed to three things customers look for in the eyewear of their choice – a high-quality, fashionable and affordable product. Ekstein says Designer Optics is committed to providing all three qualities in their products.

Thus, it is ultimately up to the eyewear industry to give its customers what they seek, by employing the correct technology that nestles perfectly into the product to make everything appear effortless.

As Anglo-Irish satirist, Jonathan Swift, said, “Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.”