Over the years, we’ve seen folks try and fail at the smart glasses game. Google Glasses never had a chance[1], and even the Snap Spectacles heyday has come to an end[2]. But that’s not stopping Intel from getting in on the fun.
The glasses are called Vaunt, first seen by the Verge[3], and they are nearly indistinguishable from regular glasses. Instead of some cumbersome headset with a special screen, Intel’s Vaunt glasses are simple plastic frames that weigh under 50 grams (nearly the exact weight of Snap Spectacles). The smart glasses work with prescription and non-prescription lenses, and there is no camera equipped.
To any onlooker, you might just be wearing a pair of Warby Parkers.
But on the inside of the stems sits a low-powered class one laser, as well as a processor, an accelerometer, a Bluetooth chip and a compass.
This laser, which Intel says is “so low-power that it’s at the very bottom end of a class one laser,” emits a red, monochrome image into your eye at 400 x 150 pixels.
The image might let you know it’s someone’s birthday, send notifications from your phone, or the glasses might detect that you’re in the kitchen and send you a recipe. Because the laser is beaming directly into your retina, the image is always in focus.
While future models might be equipped with a microphone and access to smart assistants like Alexa or Siri, the first-gen Vaunt models will be controlled through subtle motion gestures like a nod of the head. Intel wants these glasses to fit into your life as naturally as possible.
While it’s unclear just how the Vaunt glasses will come to market, Intel...