GONZALO Tudela describes Google Glass with an almost childlike sense of wonder.
"It's like looking at a screen floating in mid-air. It's incredible," he says excitedly. "You can see (the screen) crystal clear. It looks like it's between five and six feet in front of you."
Tudela is co-founder of North Vancouver software development firm Vandrico Inc., which recently got hold of one of 8,000 Google Glass prototypes released to testers and developers. The augmented reality eyeglasses have been the talk of the tech world for the last year. Featuring an optical head-mounted display, users can view and control a tiny prism computer screen in the top right-hand corner of their field of vision.
Vandrico is currently developing applications for Google Glass with a focus on industry - mining, shipping and construction, specifically.
"We're trying to see the applications of some of the new and innovative technologies such as the Google Glass, the MYO wristband, Oculus Rift, those types of technologies, and how we can apply them to reduce costs, improve production efficiency or improve safety," Tudela says.
Vandrico software developer Brian Ho could not disclose the details of the applications he is working on, but says the concept of a wearable computer integrates the user more closely with the technology. "This enables the user to receive or send information more fluidly. It can also strengthen the connectivity between the individual wearers," Ho says.
To operate the device by voice command, users must first say "OK Glass" followed by a command ("Take a picture") or a question ("How long is the Lions Gate Bridge?"). Users can also control Google Glass via a touchpad located on the arm of the device, or by simply tilting their head upwards.
When Tudela first got his hands on the gadget, one of the first things he did was take it to the street.
"As you're walking you don't really notice anything, but when you want to see (the screen) and when you want to turn it on, you just bob your head up and it uses the gyroscope, or you can touch the side of it and then a little screen shows up," he says. "It fits almost like a pair of glasses, very comfortable, and the actual screen is not in your field of vision, it's not in your way."
It's an exciting opportunity for the team at Vandrico, Tudela says, but he admits it's always a challenge to predict what consumers will want.
"With this new technology it's uncharted territory, it is something that's completely brand new. Imagine when the first smartphone came out, no one really knew what people wanted."
Before the smart glasses are released to the general public, Tudela says Google still has to deal with some privacy concerns. For example, as it stands, users can use Google Glass to film people without their knowledge. Meanwhile, the U.K. is already trying to ban the use of Google Glass while driving.
A full-scale consumer release is anticipated in the second quarter of 2014 with more than seven million units expected to be shipped in the first year.
