2. Google Glasses 2012
Augmented Reality in the Blink of an Eye
It doesn’t seem so long ago when cell phones still had a green screen and had monotone
digital ringtones. Then they slowly (or quickly depending on how you look at it) evolved
into powerful data packed computers that monopolize our lives. One of the most powerful
features of modern smart phones is the ability to deliver information on the user’s
geographical environment using augmented reality. Now this same technology is coming
to your face in the form of Google Glasses.
Google has teamed up with Android to develop the new glasses that are scheduled to enter
the market in late 2012. “We’ll apparently pay between $250 and $600 for glasses with
one computerized lens, PCWorld’s Daniel Ionescu noted earlier Wednesday. The lens will
be a contextual heads-up display (HUD) that can tell you, for instance, how far you are from
your destination”1 says Damon Brown with PCWorld. “Like Android phones, these goggles
will be licensed to third-party companies and will use a 3G or 4G connection to download
data. And how will you control the menus? By nodding and bobbing your head.”1
The heads up display on the Google Glasses works by using augmented reality. Also known
as AR, augmented reality is simply a computer generated image placed on real world
background. According to Kevin Bonsner with How Stuff Works “Augmented reality adds
graphics, sounds, haptic feedback and smell to the natural world as it exists. Both video
games and cell phones are driving the development of augmented reality. Everyone from
tourists, to soldiers, to someone looking for the closest subway stop can now benefit from
the ability to place computer-generated graphics in their field of vision.”2 Google Glasses
are not being designed for constant use, but more as an application based technology that
is only used when needed; much like our cell phones.
Although little is known about what the glasses will look like, Google recently released an
image of what the glasses may look like below.
Rumors are the glasses will hit the market in late 2012, but Google has kept the
development of this technology “hush-hush.” According to NPR’s website “There have been
rumors for months that Google's secretive X Lab in Mountain View was hard at work
developing goggles or glasses that would bear the Google name.”3 However, they are not
sure how the market will accept the new technology. According to 9to5google.com,
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“Google is apparently unsure if it will have mass-market appeal. Therefore, the company is
considering making this a pilot program.”4
Current Applications of Google Glasses and Augmented Reality
Google Glasses have not hit the market, and similar products have not been developed.
Therefore to understand the current application of this technology, we will need to focus
on the current uses of the technology used by Google Glasses which is augmented reality.
The early users of augmented reality have been television and most recently smart phones.
In both cases, the technology is used to place emphasis on important information, or allow
users to see things in a new way.
One of the most prevalent uses of augmented reality has been in television broadcasting,
and more specifically sports broadcasting. Nearly all mainstream sports have began using
the technology to make the broadcasts more interactive, and it is has been driven by a
company called SportsVision. The NFL has made good use of AR by using it to display the
location of the first down line with a yellow line. Craig Smith explains in his blog that “the
yellow line that runs across the field doesn’t actually exist. It is a computer-generated
image that interacts with on-field markers to give you the sense that you are viewing a line
on the field that moves every time a first down is achieved.”5 Like the NFL, Major League
Baseball telecasts in recent seasons have included the use augmented reality to enhance
the viewing experience by using it to show viewers the strike zone or “K-Zone,” and the
flight of the pitch. The NHL also used AR briefly to help viewers find the puck by giving
them the impression that it was glowing. Golf telecasts have used the technology to add a
tracer to shots enabling the viewer to see the ball flight, giving them a better understanding
of how players are hitting shots. Other sports such as track and field, swimming, soccer,
and even horse racing have also used the technology to enhance their telecasts. While
sports telecasts have used augmented reality to improve “viewability,” some have used it
for advertising purposes as well.
The NFL, MLB, Hockey and Soccer have all started using the technology for advertising
purposes. SportsVision has been a leader in this technology, using augmented reality to
display advertisement on the boards at hockey games, behind home plate at baseball
games, and on the field at football games. “Marketers always want to put their brand close
to the action, but Sportvision can put them into the game — literally. Virtual advertising is
executed during game play when viewership is at its peak and fans are sharply focused on
the game. A pitcher never sees the virtual image behind home plate when he's peering in at
a hitter, but millions of fans at home do.”6 The picture to the right illustrates what
SportsVision is doing. Notice the Taco Bell advertisement behind home plate. That is
visible to viewers at home, but not to the pitcher or players on the field.
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4. Google Glasses 2012
Another example of what SportsVision is doing
is evident at NHL games. They use augmented
reality to display the Toyota advertisement on
the glass behind the goal. This is not visible in
the arena, as it would obstruct the view of
spectators, but it is visible to those viewing the
game on television. The use of augmented
reality for advertising is not just prevalent in
sports.
App designers have seen the marketability of
this technology, and have capitalized on it as
well. Le Bar Guide is an app that uses
augmented reality to help bar hoppers find
local establishments. “As with similar
location-based AR apps, Le Bar (that’s French
for bar, by the way) Guide will assist you in
finding the nearest watering hole, give you
ratings and then even point you to a taxi
within stumbling distance.”7 There are
similar apps that use AR to help users find
and rate restaurants which work very much
like Le Bar Guide.
So how do the current uses of augmented
reality tie in to Google Glasses? The Google
Glasses can capitalize on all of these current
uses and more. The difference is, they will
now be located right in front of your eyes
rather than in your phone.
One key industry that could benefit from this is tourism, and navigation which both share a
similar interest. First, tourists can use Google Glasses to locate hotel rooms. The glasses
can give possible customers the ability to look at a hotel and see room availability right
away along with reviews from others. They may even be able to pull up images of the
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5. Google Glasses 2012
rooms and their prices. One other area that could benefit is navigation, both on foot and by
car. Walking tours could benefit from this technology, as patrons can be guided by the
glasses, which can be orchestrated by tourist organizations or by locals who upload
popular routes. It could also help by locating popular restaurants, and locals could upload
reviews of those restaurants. Automotive navigation could be a potential market for the
glasses as well. Wallit is another example of how a company is using augmented reality at
specific locations to bring people together. “It lets users check in at particular locations and
leave messages for others; but also has the added
bonus of letting users add augmented reality-
style photos to get their points across more
visually.”8 This application can be implemented
directly into the Google Glasses format and will
benefit greatly from it.
The sports industry could also benefit
tremendously from the development of Google
Glasses. At this time, the only viewers of sporting
events that can benefit from augmented reality
are the ones watching on TV. Google Glasses will
change that. Now spectators at the sporting event
can benefit from this technology as well.
Sporting events that can instantly benefit from
Google Glasses are The NFL and NASCAR.
Currently they both use AR to enhance the
“viewability” for fans at home, but fans at the
events can benefit from AR first down markers
and the ability to recognize drivers and current
data as well.
Advertisers at sporting events can use the
technology in Google Glasses to reach both
viewers at home and fans at the game. As the
viewers are using the glasses to improve their
experience, advertisers can put advertisements
into the field of view as well that are normally
only visible to those at home.
Another industry that has utilized augmented
reality and can benefit from Google Glasses is the golf industry. Amateur golfers already
benefit from devices such as Sky Caddie which give real time yardages. Google Glasses can
give golfers the ability to get real time yardages right in front of your eye, along with
uploaded shot selection advice from course pro’s and other golfers.
The use of Google Glasses is not only beneficial in the sports and tourism industries, but in
retail industries as well. As shoppers walk through the mall, they can use the glasses to
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6. Google Glasses 2012
find sales on clothing, or see what stores have to offer, and what others are saying about
those stores and their current selection of apparel. As they walk past a manikin in a
window, the glasses can tell the shopper the price of the outfit and what sizes and
additional colors the store has in stock. Car lots could use the Google Glasses in a similar
way. As shoppers walk around the lot, the glasses can display the mileage of cars and their
prices and amenities. It could even link to Carfax to give shoppers a background on the
cars. Car lots could even sort their cars so that the glasses could guide user’s right to a
section that meets their specific criteria.
One final industry that can benefit from Google Glasses is the security issues. Social media
promotes the rapid movement of information, and that information could be used to
improve the safety of citizens. Google Glasses should have the technology to use facial
recognition, which could be used to ID fugitives, or other criminals, by receiving
information released through different media channels.
Business Implications of Google Glasses
Augmented reality, which is the interface of Google Glasses, is going to continue to grow
and will likely become an important tool used by consumers who want to find information
on companies. Conversely, marketers will need to utilize this technology to promote their
businesses, their products, and use its social networking capabilities to reach prospective
customers. It is also going to revolutionize the way people intermingle by giving them the
ability to find social networks within their field of view. As the technology behind Google
Glasses develops and ultimately catches own, it will shape the way businesses and
individuals look at the world around them (no pun intended).
As businesses begin to see its capabilities as a marketing and informational tool, Google
Glasses have the potential to have implications many industries. John Lynch, with Search
Engine Watch says that it will have tremendous marketing benefits in a few key areas. The
first is the popularity of daily deal promotions. “Google HUD might finally give the search
giant a meaningful mechanism to compete in the daily deals market. If Groupon’s IPO has
taught us one thing, it’s that the daily deal market isn’t nearly as easy to replicate as
previously assumed by business analysts. Imagine the power of being able to subtly offer
daily deal specials to users as they walk down a street. This would offer advertisers a new
distribution method and likely increase the value of a daily deal impression.”9 One of the
key issues with daily deal websites is that we may not need the promotion at the time that
we receive it. However, if the deal pops up for a restaurant as you are walking by, the
timing may be better and the deal will seem more appealing.
According to Mr. Lynch, another way businesses can utilize Google Glasses is with
advertising. He states that “We all know that Google is saving search histories. If you’ve
expressed a previous search interest in yoga, it might be extremely helpful to be notified of
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7. Google Glasses 2012
a yoga studio near your home or office as you walk by.”9 In advertising, there is a term for
cluttered, unclear advertising. That term is
“noise” and it makes it difficult for consumers to
distinguish between different advertisements as
you can see in the example to the right. This
problem is especially prevalent in high traffic
retail areas where many advertisements can be
layered on top of each other. This makes it
difficult for consumers to find relevant
advertising because it can be drowned out due
to all of the clutter.
Some areas even limit the amount of advertising
retail stores can do, as it can reduce the aesthetic
nature of the street. Google Glasses may serve as
a solution to this problem by helping the user sift
through the clutter and find exactly what they are
looking for. Or allow retailers to advertise more
prevalently in areas where it is regulated. This
could also include reviews uploaded by other
users for specific businesses as well, which will
have a big impact on how people shop.
There are some drawbacks that could impact the popularity of Google Glasses. The first
involves the glasses themselves. Sunglasses are considered a fashionable accessory, and
have often added a “coolness factor” to the person wearing them. John Lynch goes on to
say “that they must look incredibly cool or risk getting tossed into the trash heap of
technology products that are technologically advanced, but ultimately get rejected by a
mass audience for superficial aesthetic reasons.”9
Another challenge that could arise is the user friendliness
of the glasses. As with any technology; there will be a
learning curve associated with Google Glasses. Some
predict the glasses will not be operated by hands, but by
the head movements of the user. If this is the case, it will
likely take a lot of practice from users to get fully
comfortable using the glasses.
There are also concerns about the security risk of having an inconspicuous camera. Having
the camera pointed in a way where people may not recognize it, opens up the opportunity
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8. Google Glasses 2012
for snooping. This could put customer banking information and other sensitive materials
at risk.
Like any revolutionary technology, Google Glasses are going to change the way we shop,
play, and ultimately coexist. Businesses are going to recognize its potential and utilize it to
market their products in a new way, utilizing the promotional potential of the glasses.
Spectators may one day utilize this technology to improve their viewing experience at
sporting events. Marketers may then use the technology to add AR advertisements at
sporting events specifically for those spectators. Google Glasses may serve as a potential
launching pad for current augmented reality apps like Wallit which use social media in
public places to allow users to communicate with each other. They will have to overcome
the physical and social challenges that are associated with being a technological pioneer;
however, once the technology gets legs, it will take off and completely change the way we
see the world around us.
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Works Cited
1. Brown, D.. "Google glasses are a prescription for disaster." PCWorld.com. N.p., 2012. Web.
1 Apr 2012.
<http://www.pcworld.com/article/250507/google_glasses_are_a_prescription_for_disaste
r.html>.
2. Bonsor Kevin, . "How augmented reality works." Howstuffworks.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Apr
2012. <http://www.howstuffworks.com/augmented-reality.htm>.
3. Henn, S.. "Google Goggles: Is The Future Right Before Our Eyes?." Npr.org. N.p., 2012.
Web. 1 Apr 2012.
4. "Hud google glasses are real and they are coming soon." 9to5google.com. N.p., 2012. Web. 1
Apr 2012. <http://9to5google.com/2012/02/06/hud-google-glasses-are-real-and-they-are-
coming-soon/>.
5. Smith, Craig. "Augmented Reality: Bringing 3D Virtual Reality to Real World Marketing
Campaigns." What we're talking about. Wedu.com, 20 03
6. "Virtual Advertisements." Sportsvision.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Apr 2012.
<http://www.sportvision.com/base-virtual-ads.html>. Image citation as well.
7. Elliot, A.. "10 amazing augmented reality iphone apps." Mashable.com. N.p., 2009. Web. 1
Apr 2012. <http://mashable.com/2009/12/05/augmented-reality-iphone/>. Image citation
as well.
8. Lunden, Ingrid. "With $1.2M Of Seed Funding, A SoMoLo App For Augmented Reality
Fans: Wallit." Techcrunch.com. N.p., 3/6/2012. Web. 1 Apr 2012.
<http://techcrunch.com/2012/03/06/with-1-2m-of-seed-funding-a-somolo-app-for-
augmented-reality-fans-wallit/>. Image citation as well.
9. Lynch, J.. "Google hud glasses: Possible features & implications for marketers."
Searchenginewatch.com. N.p., 2012. Web. 1 Apr 2012.
<http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2154712/Google-HUD-Glasses-Possible-Features-
Implications-for-Marketers>.
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10. N.d. Image. http://www.augmentedplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/bionic-eye4-420-
90.jpg
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