Intel has had numerous AR glasses projects in the works, but now we’ve finally seen the actual product. It’s called Vaunt — and based on the report from The Verge — they actually might do what Google Glass never could.
Vaunt uses an advanced technology that actually projects lasers right onto your retinas, delivering you a running a feed of notifications and information without an actual screen. For example, you might get message notifications or map directions, sent via Bluetooth from your phone directly to your eyes. Vaunt doesn’t even have touch or voice controls — instead, it relies on eye movement to do things like dismiss notifications or disappear from view altogether.
According to Intel, “The design intent was always zero social cost.” But is that really how people feel about AR glasses?
.@Intel is working on a new pair of smart #AR glasses called #Vaunt — and they actually look like normal glasses.
But would you actually wear these in public?
— Digital Trends (@DigitalTrends) February 5, 2018
We can all recall Google Glass and the backlash that followed. Remember the coffee shop that banned them? How about the “Stop the Cyborg” campaign and the proliferation of the term “Glassholes?”
Once word got out, it didn’t take long for Google Glass to disappear altogether. The situation may have been overblown, but there’s no question the public wasn’t ready for wearables that were quite so invasive. Intel’s glasses look like they’ve sidestepped the issue by making them fairly nondescript — and not including a camera built-in. Even better, they even come in multiple styles and work with prescriptions.
