GoogleLenses

Wearables have taken over the world of technological innovation.  From the Nike Fuel Band to smart watches, wearable tech devices are popping up everywhere.  Perhaps the most popular of these new devices is Google Glass- you can read some of my opinions of the glasses here and here. 

Met with much criticism, Google Glass is a huge step in the future of wearables and just recently, Google has taken this visual computing concept one step further...

Google has patented tiny cameras that can be embedded in contact lenses.  These cameras can be used for both personal photo and video-capturing endeavors and as a visual assistive device.  However, it is easy to predict the hostility towards the lenses after examining the backlash to the release of Google Glass.

While the lenses would protect wearers from the assault that some Glass users have experienced, they will surely fuel skepticism in many non-wearers because of their secret intrusive nature.  People who fear being recorded by Google Glass without their knowledge will now not even know if a peer is wearing the lenses.

Initially, this seems a little creepy.. But when focusing on the "surveillance environment" that the universal acceptance of these lenses could create, it is easy to overlook the implications that this development will have on individuals with visual impairments and on the future development of contact lenses.

For example, Google recently released news about contact lenses that would monitor blood glucose levels of diabetics.  This has huge benefits for people who live with diabetes, and it is important to acknowledge the benefits that the camera lenses will have for those who are blind or visually impaired.

The contact lenses operate through blinking patterns and have wireless capabilities that allow them to communicate with a wearer's smartphone.  They could spot obstacles in a users line of vision and alert them of any dangers or obstructions.  To me, the coolest function of the lenses is their potential for face recognition.  The Week says, "the system will also be able to detect faces, helping the blind to recognize people they know."

I think the lenses are awesome, and if they gain traction in society, they will significantly help individuals with visual impairments and will lead to further advancements in the realm of visual computing.  Perhaps one day (maybe very soon), our contacts will have the entire computing capabilities of Google Glass.  

It's time to notice the extreme benefits of wearable devices.  Sometimes we need to ignore the potential unfamiliarity and fear of new tech and realize its more important advantages.


Further reading : http://techcrunch.com/2014/04/14/google-patents-tiny-cameras-embedded-in-contact-lenses/