A SEMINAR REPORT

ON

SMART GLASSES

Submitted in

Partial fulfilment of the Requirements for the

Degree of

Bachelor of Computer Application (BCA)

Session: 2016-17

Submitted to: Submitted by:

Mr. Raja Bhati Nipun Agrawal

(Assistant Professor I) 16BCAN013

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & COMPUTER

APPLICATION

JECRC UNIVERSITY, JAIPUR

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INDEX

1. Introduction

2. Comparison with previous technologies

2.1 There’s nothing “smart” about “smart glasses” out of the box

2.2 “See-through” is a relative term

2.3 Wearable displays are not “one size fits all” device

2.4 Today, smart glasses are really intended to be “occasional wear”

2.5 Apps and content will be what ultimately make smart glasses invaluable

3. Display types for smart glasses

3.1 Diffractive waveguide

3.2 Holographic waveguide

3.3 Polarized waveguide

3.4 Reflective waveguide

3.5 "Clear-Vu" reflective waveguide

3.6 Switchable waveguide

3.7 Virtual retinal display (VRD)

4. Features of smart glasses

5. Health care applications

6. Uses of smart glasses

6.1 Documentation

6.2productivity

6.3medical2

6.4 conclusion advantages and disadvantages

7. Advantages and disadvantages

7.1. Advantages

7.2. Disadvantages

8. Future plans

8.1 Products in development

8.2 Production models

9. References

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LIST IF FIGURES

1.1 A smart glass------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4

1.2 A smart glass------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4

2.1 Key Features of smart glasses-----------------------------------------------------------------8

3.1 Diffractive waveguide----------------------------------------------------------------------- --9

3.2 Holographic waveguide-----------------------------------------------------------------------10

3.3 Polarized waveguide---------------------------------------------------------------------------10

3.4 Reflective waveguide-------------------------------------------------------------------------11

3.5 “Clear-Vu”reflective waveguide-------------------------------------------------------------11

3.6 Switchable waveguide-------------------------------------------------------------------------12

3.7 Virtual retinal display-------------------------------------------------------------------------12

4.1 Various applications of Smart Glasses-----------------------------------------------------------13

5.1.1 Smart glasses used in surgeries----------------------------------------------------------------15

5.1.2 Smart glasses used in surgeries---------------------------------------------------------------15

6.1 Smart glasses under development and research work------------------------------------------21

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1. INTRODUCTION

Smart glasses (Fig.1.1&1.2) or smart glasses or Digital Eye Glass or Personal Imaging

System are a wearable computer that adds information to what the wearer sees. Typically this

is achieved through an optical head-mounted display (OHMD) or computerized internet-

connected glasses with transparent heads-up display (HUD) or augmented reality (AR)

overlay that has the capability of reflecting projected digital images as well as allowing the

user to see through it, or see better with it. While early models can perform basic tasks, such

as just serve as a front end display for a remote system, as in the case of smart glasses

utilizing cellular technology or Wi-Fi, modern smart glasses are effectively wearable

computers which can run self-contained mobile apps. Some are hands free that can

communicate with the Internet via natural language voice commands, while other use touch

buttons.

Like other computers, smart glasses may collect information from internal or external

sensors. It may control, or retrieve data from, other instruments or computers. It may support

wireless technologies like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS. While a smaller number of models run

a mobile operating system and function as portable media players to send audio and video

files to the user via a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi headset. Some smart glasses models, also feature

full life logging and activity tracker capability.

Such smart glasses devices may also have all the features of a smart phone. Some also have

activity tracker functionality features (also known as "fitness tracker") as seen in some GPS

watches.

Fig.1.1 A smart glass Fig.1.2 A smart glass

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2. COMPARISION WITH PREVIOUS TECHNOLOGIES

Though we use them for R&D, many of us (me included) always take new devices home over

the weekend just to see how well they work under extended use (my inner geek approves of

this). It definitely keeps us honest about what will make these devices and others like them

effective as we bring them to our customers for augmented reality across industrial or

enterprise settings. Here are some of the things we’ve learned:

2.1 There’s nothing “smart” about “smart glasses” out of the box

The popular press has coined the term “smart glasses” to refer to just about any portable see-

through display. In reality, “smart glasses” are just displays like miniature computer monitors

or mobile screens. Some will have cameras and tilt sensors, but all of them as of right now

are only capable of displaying over a limited field of view with limited display resolution.

With the exception of being hands-free, our mobile phone or tablet can do everything smart

glasses can, only better. To be clear, I’m not saying wearable displays aren’t viable yet – just

that expectations have to be managed accordingly. Taking hardware like the BT-200s and

transforming them into deployment devices worthy of use in an industrial or enterprise

setting is not yet an “out-of-the-box” experience.

2.2 “See-through” is a relative term

There isn’t yet an operational definition for what it means for a wearable display to be “see-

through.” Some wearable displays, like Smart glass have displays that are designed to be

offset from our principal field of view, so we only look at the display when we need to

interact with it and it otherwise “gets out of our way” so-to-speak. Others, like the BT-200 sit

squarely in the middle of our field of view, so whatever is being displayed is always front and

centre. Wearable’s can be monocular (like Glass) or binocular (like the BT-200). The right

choice for our workforce wills likely come down to our use cases, the nature of our working

environment, operational considerations, as well as personal preference. It could be

distracting to not be able to “see through” what is being displayed if we work in an

environment where we need to be fully aware of our surroundings.

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2.3 Wearable displays are not “one size fits all” devices

One thing with the BT-200 is how it accommodates side-by-side display across two eyes.

Inter-ocular separation, or the distance between the left eye and right eye can differ

significantly from person to person. In the case of the BT-200, it looks like the hardware was

designed with an “average” separation distance in mind. For me personally, the display

separation is too wide, leading me to see frame distortions from the left eye projection and

only a limited view from the right eye display. Knowing that such differences could be

common among our workforce is something to consider – we may want hardware that can be

adjusted, otherwise a significant portion of those using the device may find it more annoying

than useful.

2.4 Today, smart glasses are really intended to be “occasional wear”

Check out any number of reviews on the Web, and battery life will inevitably come up as a

discussion point. On a good day, Smart glass might last 3-4 hours before needing a recharge.

The Epson BT-200s are rated to last a full six hours, but this is also dependent on the

brightness of the screen and how resource intensive our apps are. Even if battery life is set

aside, it can be outright uncomfortable to wear glass displays for an extended period of time.

They often weigh significantly more than a pair of sunglasses (think more like goggles, not

including whatever the glasses might be tethered to for actual computing), and can run

uncomfortably hot if they are being used to their fullest or happen to embed a wireless

antenna of some kind. At least for now, glasses may need to be thought of as technology that

is “worn as needed,” much in the same way that mobile phones or tablets are used.

2.5 Apps and content will be what ultimately make smart glasses invaluable

Many signs indicate that software and platforms could be even more important than the

evolution of hardware in the adoption of wearable technology across the enterprise. With

access to the right data and capabilities to visualize that data in real-time, we see enormous

opportunities to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of people, industrial machinery, and

the interactions between them. Smart glasses and wearable displays, like any other mobile

technology, are just one part of an entire ecosystem of interconnected technologies that has to

be designed and implemented to meet business needs. Our customers are constantly telling us

that what excites them most about AR is not (just) the technology, but the vision for putting

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data and content in the hands of people at the right time and place so decisions can be made

on-demand.

It’s also worth pointing out that not every “wearable display” is truly capable of augmented

reality. In its current form, Smart glass really is more of a “wearable computing experience”

than it is an “augmented reality experience,” though sometimes the two are used

interchangeably. A critical element of AR is combining computer graphics content with the

real world, such as overlaying 3D models on top of a real world piece of machinery. Keeping

up with the latest on Twitter on a wearable device isn’t really AR, and we’ve found Glass to

be limited in its ability to render graphics in real-time.

Fig.2.1. Key features of a smart glass

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3. DISPLAY TYPES FORSMART GLASSES

Various techniques have existed for see-through HMDs. Most of these techniques can be

summarized into two main families: “Curved Mirror” (or Curved Combiner) based and

“Waveguide” or "Light-guide" based. The curved mirror technique has been used by Vuzix in

their Star 1200 product, by Olympus, and by Laster Technologies. Various waveguide

techniques have existed for some time. These techniques include diffraction optics,

holographic optics, polarized optics, reflective optics, and projection:

3.1 Diffractive waveguide – slanted diffraction grating elements (nanometric 10E-9)

Nokia technique now licensed to Vuzix.

Fig.3.1 Diffractive waveguide

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3.2 Holographic waveguide – 3 holographic optical elements (HOE) sandwiched

together (RGB). Used by Sony and Konica Minolta.

Fig.3.2 Holographic waveguide

3.3 Polarized waveguide – 6 multilayer coated (25-35) polarized reflectors in glass

sandwich. Developed by Lumus.

Fig.3.3 Polarized waveguide

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3.4 Reflective waveguide – thick light guide with single semi reflective mirror. This

technique is used by Epson in their Moverio product.

Fig.3.4 Reflective waveguide

3.5 "Clear-Vu" reflective waveguide – thin monolithic molded plastic w/ surface

reflectors and conventional coatings developed by Optinvent and used in their ORA

product.

Fig.3.5 "Clear-Vu"reflective waveguide

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3.6 Switchable waveguide – developed by SBG Labs.

Fig.3.6 Switchable waveguide

3.7 Virtual retinal display (VRD) – Also known as a retinal scan display (RSD) or

retinal projector (RP), is a display technology that draws a raster display (like a

television) directly onto the retina of the eye.

Fig.3.7 Virtual retinal display

The Technical Illusions castAR uses a different technique with clear glass. The glasses have a

projector, and the image is returned to the eye by a reflective surface.

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4. FEATURES OF SMART GLASSES

As with other life logging and activity tracking devices, the GPS tracking unit and digital

camera of some smart glasses can be used to record historical data. For example, after the

completion of a workout, data can be uploaded onto a computer or online to create a log of

exercise activities for analysis. Some smart watches can serve as full GPS navigation devices,

displaying maps and current coordinates. Users can "mark" their current location and then

edit the entry's name and coordinates, which enables navigation to those new coordinates.

Although some smart glasses models manufactured in the 21st century are completely

functional as standalone products, most manufacturers recommend or even require that

consumers purchase mobile phone handsets that run the same operating system so that the

two devices can be synchronized for additional and enhanced functionality. The smart glasses

can work as an extension, for head-up display (HUD) or remote control of the phone and alert

the user to communication data such as calls, SMS messages, emails, and calendar invites.

Fig.4.1 various applications of Smart Glasses

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5. HEALTH CARE APPLICATIONS

Several proof of concepts for Smart glasses have been proposed in healthcare. In July 2013,

Lucien Engelen started research on the usability and impact of Smart glass in health care. As

of August 2013, Engelen, who is based at Singularity University and in Europe at Radboud

University Medical Centre, is the first healthcare professional in Europe to participate in the

Glass Explorer program. His research on Smart glass (starting August 9, 2013) was

conducted in operating rooms, ambulances, a trauma helicopter, general practice, and home

care as well as the use in public transportation for visually or physically impaired. His

research consisted of taking pictures, streaming videos to other locations, dictating operative

log, and tele-consultation through Hangout. Engelen documented his findings in blogs,

videos, pictures, on Twitter, and on Google+. and is still ongoing.

Key findings of Engelen's research included:

5.1 The quality of pictures and video are usable for healthcare education,

reference, and remote consultation. The camera needs to be tilted to different

angle for most of the operative procedures.

5.2 Tele-consultation is possible—depending on the available bandwidth—during

operative procedures.

5.3 A stabilizer should be added to the video function to prevent choppy

transmission when a surgeon looks to screens or colleagues.

5.4 Battery life can be easily extended with the use of an external battery.

5.5 Controlling the device and/or programs from another device is needed for

some features because of sterile environment.

5.6 Text-to-speech ("Take a Note" to Evernote) exhibited a correction rate of 60

percent, without the addition of a medical thesaurus.

5.7 A protocol or checklist displayed on the screen of Smart glass can be helpful

during procedures.

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Fig.5.1.1 Smart glasses used in surgeries

Fig.5.1.2 Smart glasses used in surgeries

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6. USES OF SMART GLASSES

6.1 Documentation

Pictures and videos taken by smart glasses are taken from thepoint of view of the user and

can be taken hands-free withoutoccluded sight. This is ideal to capture personal experiences

of the wearer. In addition to pictures taken manually a device could also take pictures

automatically. It could realize when the user is agitated or excited and take more pictures or

even videos in those times automatically. All the pictures could be uploaded to create a

documentation of the person’s life. This documentation could be used positively in many

different ways. It could be used as a memory aid, to in-crease safety by creating visual

evidence of crimes, as proof in court or simply for personal use. If many people used such a

device for documentation, information of catastrophes andother major events would spread

even faster due to the in-crease of pictures and videos taken in situations where the user

might not have time to manually take pictures like anearthquake.

6.2Productivity

Although there are already many solutions used for navigation, smart glasses could be used to

create a better experience. In cars they could be used to highlight the way andpropose a speed

for the driver. In warehouses they could be used to navigate employees to the objects they

need to trans-port highlighting those with some colour.Video streams could be used to ask

experts or support questions while doing work. Imagine having to do a difficult

maintenance task once a year. This could be done while being connected to an expert from

that products company seeing exactly what we do, giving advice and in case something goes

wrong maybe even being liable for damages. This is a lot cheaper than having an expert

travel to once location. Smart glasses could be used to track eye movement of employees.

Analysing this data could help determine when a employee is overworked and needs a break

or when a employee runs out of work and starts working slower. Another possible application

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would be to augment construction sites with architectural plans helping in finding mistakes

made in the planning phase and also preventing accidents like drilling through a water pipe.

6.3Medical

At first the use of smart glasses for blind or visually impaired people might seem pointless.

But they could be very useful in assisting those people as a sighted companion. Many blind

people use a cane to get information about their surroundings. This method only gives

information about items below the waist which doesn’t prevent collisions with objects placed

higher like tree branches. Smart glasses could warn blind people from such collisions. They

could also be used for navigation by giving them information about the distance to redefined

landmarks. Another possible application would be to use the smart glasses as a seeing aid to

create night vision or show objects in a distance. Virtual reality has been used in physical

therapy. Studies prove that the subjective pain sensation of patients during exercises can be

reduced by distracting them with a virtual reality set up.

6.4 Conclusion

There are a lot of interesting applications which can only or a lot easier be implemented with

smart glasses than with traditional computing devices. It is probable that there will be large

investments into research and development of smart glasses because the entertainment

industry, military and businesses can benefit from smart glasses and there might be a high

consumer demand for them soon. The hardware that will be available in the near future still

has its pitfalls and will probably need a few years and iterations to be fixed. Nevertheless the

prototypes available today are very promising and it might happen that smart glasses will be a

part of our future everyday life. Be it in cinemas, at the workplace, in our entertainment

systems or as always connected companion device.

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7. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

7.1 ADVANTAGES

7.1.1 A true “hands-free” experience

A lot of gadgets claim to be hands-free but Smart glass is the only device that eliminates the

need to pull out oursmartphone or fumble around with a secondary device (like a smart

watch). Glass does most of the things our smartphone can do and is completely controlled by

our voice commands. Sending text messages, drafting emails, searching the web, snapping

pictures; Glass does it all.

7.1.2 Makes our life easier

Glass allows us to use technology without worrying about it. This is especially true for active

people who use apps like Strata Run/Cycle, GolfSight, and Google Maps. Because Glass is

designed for people on the move, we’re able to live lighter while exploring the world at the

same time. So instead of staring at our smartphone screen, we can stare at our environment.

7.1.3 We are always connected

We don’t have to worry about connecting to a network or opening an app when we’re

wearing Smart glass — it’s always on. Whether we want to take a picture, share our status on

social media, or find our way with a compass; Smart glass is always awaiting our command.

And because we’re always connected to the web, we’ll never miss a moment again.

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7.2 DISADVANTAGES

7.2.1 May take a toll on our vision

Companies warns potential Glass users they may feel eye strain or develop a headache when

wearing the device — just like when wearing normal glasses.Companies also warn people

who’ve had Lasik surgery to consult with their doctor about the potential negative impact

Glass may have on their eyes. And if you’re under 13 years old, wearing Glass could harm

developing vision.

7.2.2 Could be a distraction

A new study has found that Glass may curtail your natural peripheral vision. This is

extremely dangerous because it may create blind spots that undermine safety while you

engage in everyday tasks — like driving or walking. The study compared wearing Google

Glass with regular glasses and determined there is a “clinically meaningful” loss of vision in

the upper-right quadrant which could potentially cause an accident.

7.2.3 Not everyone is on board

The movie industry recently banned Smart Glasses from being allowed inside theatres and

other businesses could follow suit. The potential of being recorded without knowing so has

made many people sceptical of Glass wearers and we may be shunned for embracing the

technology. We may also face ridicule from others who simply “don’t like” Google Glass.

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8. FUTURE PLANS

8.1 Products in development

8.1.1 AiR (Augmented interactive Reality) Platform by Atheer Labs – gesture-

controlled mobile AR smart glasses for industrial applications

8.1.2 castAR by Technical Illusions – wearable AR device for gaming

8.1.3 Google Glass (Version 3) – optical head-mounted display

8.1.4 HoloLens by Microsoft – Windows 10 based AR unit, with high-definition

3D optical head-mounted display and spatial sound

8.1.5 Mirama by Brilliantservice Co., Ltd.– gesture controlled augmented reality

smart glasses

8.1.6 Meta Company "space glasses"

8.1.7 Vuzix "Vuzix M300 and Vuzix M3000, expected summer 2016"

8.2 Production models

8.2.1 Airscouter- a virtual retinal display made by Brother Industries

8.2.2 BuBBles glasses – augmented reality glasses by BuBBles lab

8.2.3 Epson Moverio BT-200 – augmented reality smartglasses by Epson.

8.2.4 Eye Tap – eye-mounted camera and head-up display (HUD)

8.2.5 Golden-i – head-mounted computer

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8.2.6 Google Glass – optical head-mounted display

8.2.7 Looxcie – ear-mounted streaming video camera (discontinued)

Fig.6.1 Smart glasses under development and research work

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9. REFRENCES

1. IEEE Spectrum, "Vision 2.0" IEEE Spectrum, Volume 50, Issue 3, Digital Object

Identifier: 10.1109/MSPEC.2013.6471058, pp42-47

2. Wearable Computing: A First Step toward Personal Imaging, IEEE Computer, Vol. 30,

Iss. 2 Feb. 1997, pp. 25-32,

3. "Quant graphic camera promises HDR eyesight from Father of AR", Chris Davies, Slash

gear, Sept. 12, 2012

4. Ari Brockman. "Best Smart Glasses of 2015". Viewer.

5. Mike Elgan (21 December 2013). "Why 2014 is the 'year of smart glasses'".

Computerworld.

6. "We get a faceful of smart glasses at 2014 -- and it ain't pretty". CNET. CBS Interactive.

7. Jessica Dolcourt (8 January 2014). "Lumus DK40 Preview – CNET". CNET. CBS

Interactive.

8. Scott Stein (18 February 2014). "Epson Moverio BT-200 Smart Glasses Preview –

CNET". CNET. CBS Interactive.

9. Goldman, David (4 April 2012). "Google unveils 'Project Glass' virtual-reality glasses".

Money. CNN. Retrieved 4 April 2012.

10. Albanesius, Chloe (4 April 2012). "Google 'Project Glass' Replaces the Smartphone With

Glasses". PC Magazine. Retrieved 4 April 2012.

11. Newman, Jared (4 April 2012). "Google's 'Project Glass' Teases Augmented Reality

Glasses". PC World. Retrieved 4 April 2012.

12. Bilton, Nick (23 February 2012). "Behind the Google Goggles, Virtual Reality". The New

York Times. Retrieved 4 April 2012.

13. These Are Google Glass's CPU and RAM Specs | Gizmodo UK April 26, 2013 – 7:30pm

14. "Faqs – Google Glass – Press FAQ".

15. Adrianne Jeffries (December 4, 2013). "'Viewpoint of Billions' uses Google Glass to make

art look back at you". The Verge. Retrieved December 13, 2013.

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