Google Glass: Documentation

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GOOGLE GLASS

Documentation

MAY 7, 2015
HALDIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Submitted By:
Nitish Kumar (12/CS/110)
Prakash Thakur (12/CS/116)
Anirban Dutta (12/CS/59)

Acknowledgement
The enduring pages of the work are the cumulative sequence of extensive guidance
and arduous work. We wish to acknowledge and express our personal gratitude to all
those without whom this work could not have been reality.

First of all we express our heartiest devotion to Almighty God for his graceful blessings
at every step without which nothing could have been reality. We feel very delighted to
get this rare opportunity to show our profound senses of reverences and indebtedness
to our esteemed guide Mr. Ashish Bera (Seminar Coordinator) and Mr. T. K. Ghosh (HOD,
CSE) for their keen and sustained interest, valuable advice, throughout the course of
which led our new technology analysis , to a successful completion.

For this kind act of consideration we beholden to them in special manner and no one
can fully convey our feelings of respect and regard for them.

Last but not least we would like to thank those who have directly or indirectly helped
and co-operated in accomplishing this report.

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Preface
Seminar Report on new technology is necessary for the students of B. Tech according to
the rules of West Bengal University of Technology. We have made our sincere attempt
to explain the new technology Google Glass deeply explaining the basic principles. It
includes the brief knowledge about all ranges of Google Glass.
The main features of the report are that it covers the topic from its basic concept up to
its future applications. Its description is completed with parallel research and analysis
that helped in its understanding and a detail insight into the concept. In this report we
put all features and specification of Google Glass.

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Contents
Abstract....4
Keywords .............................................................................................................................................. 4
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 5

About google ................................................................................................................................ 5


Virtual reality (VR): ....................................................................................................................... 5
Augmented reality (AR):............................................................................................................... 5
Project Glass:................................................................................................................................ 6
Android:........................................................................................................................................ 6
Overview............................................................................................................................................... 7
Technologies used: ............................................................................................................................. 8

Wearable Computing: .................................................................................................................. 8


Ambient Intelligence: ................................................................................................................... 8
Smart Clothing: ............................................................................................................................ 9
Eye Tap Technology: .................................................................................................................... 9
Smart Grid Technology:.............................................................................................................. 10
4G Technology: .......................................................................................................................... 10
Android Operating System: ........................................................................................................ 10
How it Works? ..................................................................................................................................... 11

Design:........................................................................................................................................ 11
Video Display:.......................................................................................................................... 11
Camera: ................................................................................................................................... 11
Speaker:.........11
Button: .................................................................................................................................... 11
Microphone: ............................................................................................................................ 12
Working: ..................................................................................................................................... 12
Advantages and Disadvantages .................................................................................................. 18

Advantages:................................................................................................................................ 18
Disadvantages: ........................................................................................................................... 18
Future Scope ...................................................................................................................................... 19
CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................................... 20
BIBLIOGRAPHY21

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Abstract
Project Glass is a research and development program by Google to develop an
augmented reality Head-Mounted Display (HMD). The intended purpose of Project
Glass products would be the hands-free displaying of information currently available to
most smartphone users, and allowing for interaction with the Internet via natural
language voice commands. These glasses will have the combined features of virtual
reality and augmented reality. Google glasses are basically wearable computers that
will use the same Android software that powers Android smartphones and tablets.
Google Glass is as futuristic a gadget weve seen in recent times. A useful technology
for all kinds of people including handicapped/disabled.

Keywords Used:
Virtual Reality: Term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate
physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds
Augmented Reality (AR): AR is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world
environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input
such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data.
Eye Tap: EyeTap is a device that is worn in front of the eye that acts as a camera to
record the scene available to the eye as well as a display to superimpose a computergenerated imagery on the original scene available to the eye.
Android: An open source operation system developed for smartphones to improve the
accessibility and to be user friendly.
4G: Fourth generation technology is successor of 3g and can support up to 100Mbps
transfer rate
Other keywords: Smart Clothing, project glasses

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Introduction
About Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational corporation specializing in Internet-related
services and products. These include search, cloud computing, software and online
advertising technologies. Google began in January 1996 as a research project by Larry
Page and Sergey Brin. It was originally a search engine who ranks the
websites(PageRank) and return them as search results according to user query, with
time Google grew and presently it provides many other features than only search results
i.e. it now provides image search, YouTube(largest collection of online videos) and
many more. It has its own R & D department known as Google X, where the project
Google Glass was made. Google glass uses virtual and augmented reality to interact
with user.

Virtual Reality (VR)


Virtual reality is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can
simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds.
It covers remote communication environments which provide virtual presence of users
with the concepts of telepresence and telexistence or a virtual artifact (VA). The
simulated environment can be similar to the real world in order to create a life like
experience.
Virtual reality is often used to describe a wide variety of applications commonly
associated with immersive, highly visual, 3D environments. The development of CAD
software, graphics hardware acceleration, head mounted displays, database gloves,
and miniaturization.

Augmented Reality (AR)


Augmented reality is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment
whose elements are augmented by generated sensory input such as sound, video,
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graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality,
in which a view of reality is modified (possibly even diminished rather than augmented)
by a computer. As a result, the technology functions by enhancing ones current
perception of reality. By contrast, virtual reality replaces the real world with a simulated
one. Augmentation is conventionally in real-time and in semantic context with
environmental elements.

Project Glass
Project Glass is a research and development program by Google to develop an
augmented reality head-mounted display (HMD). It is part of the Google X Lab, which
works on other futuristic technologies. The intended purpose of Project Glass products
would be the hands-free displaying of information currently available to most
smartphone users, and allowing for interaction with the Internet via natural language
voice commands. The functionality and physical appearance (minimalist design of the
aluminum strip with 2 nose pads) has been compared to Steve
Mann's EyeTap, which was also referred to as "Glass" ("EyeTap Digital Eye Glass", i.e. uses
of the word "Glass" in singular rather than plural form "Glasses").
The operating system software used in the glass will be Google's Android.

Android
Android is a Linux-based operating system designed primarily for touchscreen mobile
devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. Initially developed by Android,
Inc., which Google backed financially and later bought in 2005, Android was unveiled
in 2007 along with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance: a consortium of
hardware, software, and telecommunication companies devoted to advancing open
standards for mobile devices.

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Overview
As per many reports, Google is expected to start selling eyeglasses that will project
information, entertainment and, this being a Google product, advertisements onto the
lenses. These glasses will have the combined features of virtual reality and augmented
reality.
The Google Glasses can use a 4G cell connection to pull
in information from Googles mountain of data and
display info about the real world in augmented reality
on the lens in front of your eye. As you turn your head
youll get information about your surroundings and
nearby objects from Google Goggles, info on buildings
and establishments from
Google Maps, even your friends nearby check-ins from
Latitude. The company has no plans to sell ads into your newly augmented view of the
world, but will consider it if the product really catches on.
The glasses are not being designed to be worn constantly although Google
engineers expect some users will wear them a lot but will be more like smartphones,
used when needed, with the lenses serving as a kind of see-through computer monitor.
Google glasses are basically wearable computers that will use the same Android
software that powers Android smartphones and tablets. Like smartphones and tablets,
the glasses will be equipped with GPS and motion sensors. They will also contain a
camera and audio inputs and outputs.
Several people who have seen the glasses, but who are not allowed to speak publicly
about them, said that the location information was a major feature of the glasses.
Through the built-in camera on the glasses, Google will be able to stream images to its
rack computers and return augmented reality information to the person wearing them.
For instance, a person looking at a landmark could see detailed historical information
and comments about it left by friends. If facial recognition software becomes accurate
enough, the glasses could remind a wearer of when and how he met the vaguely
familiar person standing in front of him at a party. They might also be used for virtual
reality games that use the real world as the playground.

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Technologies Used
Wearable Computing
Wearable computers, also known as body-borne computers are miniature electronic
devices that are worn by the bearer under, with or on top of clothing. This class of
wearable technology has been developed for general or special purpose information
technologies and media development. Wearable computers are especially useful for
applications that require more complex computational support than just hardware
coded logics.
One of the main features of a wearable computer is
consistency. There is a constant interaction between
the computer and user, i.e. there is no need to turn
the device on or off. Another feature is the ability to
multi-task. It is not necessary to stop what you are
doing to use the device; it is augmented into all other
actions. These devices can be incorporated by the
user to act like a prosthetic. It can therefore be an extension of the users mind and/or
body.

Ambient Intelligence
Ambient Intelligence (AmI)
refers to electronic
environments that are
sensitive and responsive to the
presence of people. Ambient
intelligence is a vision on the
future of consumer
electronics,
telecommunications and
computing.
In an ambient intelligence
world, devices work in concert
to support people in carrying out their everyday life activities, tasks and rituals in easy,
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natural way using information and intelligence that is hidden in the network connecting
these devices.
As these devices grow smaller, more connected and more integrated into our
environment, the technology disappears into our surroundings until only the user
interface remains perceivable by users.

Smart Clothing
Smart clothing is the next generation of apparel. It is a combination of new fabric
technology and digital technology, which means that the clothing is made with
new signal-transfer fabric technology installed with digital devices. Since this smart
clothing is still under development, many problems have occurred due to the
absence of the standardization of technology. Therefore,
the efficiency of technology development can be
strengthened through industrial standardization. This
study consists of three phases. The first phase is selecting
standardization factors to propose a standardization
road map. The second phase is to research and collect related test evaluation
methods of smart clothing. For this, we selected two categories, which are
clothing and electricity/electron properties.
The third phase is establishing a standardization road map for smart clothing. In this
study, test evaluations have not yet been conducted and proved. However, this study
shows how to approach standardization. We expect that it will be valuable for
developing smart clothing technology and standardization in the future.

Eye Tap Technology


An EyeTap is a device that is worn in front of the eye
that acts as a camera to record the scene available
to the eye as well as a display to superimpose a
computer-generated imagery on the original scene
available to the eye. This structure allows the user's
eye to operate as both a monitor and a camera as
the EyeTap intakes the world around it and augments the image the user sees
allowing it to overlay computer-generated data over top of the normal world the
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user would perceive. The EyeTap is a hard technology to categorize under the three
main headers for wearable computing (Constancy, Augmentation, and Mediation)
for while it is in theory a constancy technology in nature it also has the ability to
augment and mediate the reality the user perceives.

Smart Grid Technology


A smart grid is an electrical grid that uses information and communications technology
to gather and act on information, such as information about the behaviors of suppliers
and consumers, in an automated fashion to improve the efficiency, reliability,
economics, sustainability of the production and distribution of electricity.

4G Technology
4G is the fourth generation of cell phone mobile communications standards. It is a
successor of the third generation (3G) standards. A 4G system provides mobile ultrabroadband Internet access, for example to laptops with USB wireless modems, to
smartphones, and to other mobile devices.

Android Operating System


Android is a Linux-based operating system for mobile devices such as smart phones and
tablet computers, developed by Google in conjunction with the Open Handset
Alliance. Android is open source and Google releases the code under the Apache
License. This open source code and permissive licensing allows the software to be freely
modified and distributed by device manufacturers, wireless carriers and enthusiast
developers. Additionally, Android has a large community of developers writing
applications ("apps") that extend the functionality of devices, written primarily in a
customized version of the Java programming language. In October 2012, there were
approximately 700,000 apps available for Android, and the estimated number of
applications downloaded from Google Play, Android's primary app store, was 25 billion.

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How It Works?
Design
Video Display: Its features with the small video display that is used to display the pop up
hands free information.

Camera: It also has the front facing video camera with which photos and videos can
be taken in a glimpse.

Speaker: Google glasses are designed to be hands free wearable device that can be
used to make or receive calls too. So a speaker is also designed by the ear.

Button: A single button on the side of the frame sophisticates the glasses to work with
the physical touch input.

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Microphone: A microphone is also put in, that can take the voice commands of the
wearer of user. This microphone is also used for having telephonic communication.

Working:
The device will probably communicate with mobile
phones through Wi-Fi and display contents on the
video screen as well as respond to the voice
commands of the user.
Google put together a short video demonstrating
the features and apps of Google glasses.
It mainly concentrates on the social networking,
navigation and communication.

THE OVERALL DESIGN OF GOOGLE GLASSES

The video camera senses the environment and recognizes the objects and people
around.
The whole working of the Google glasses depends upon the user voice commands
itself.

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Multiple features of Glass can be seen in a product video released in February 2013:
Feature

Voice activation text

1. Record video

"ok, glass, record a video."

2. Take picture

"ok, glass, take a picture."

3. Use Google Now

"ok, glass, [question]."

4. Start Google+ hangout "ok, glass, hang out with [person/circle]."


5. Search

"ok, glass, google [search query]."

6. Search photos

"ok, glass, google photos of [search query]."

7. Translate

"ok, glass, say [text] in [language]."

8. Give directions

"ok, glass, give directions to [place]."

9. Send message

"ok, glass, send a message to [name]."


"ok, glass, send [name] that [message]."
"ok, glass, send [message] to [name]."

10. Display weather

none/automatically (Google Now)


"ok, glass, how is the weather in [location]?"
"ok, glass, do I need an umbrella today?"

11. Give flight details

none/automatically (Google Now)


"ok, glass, when does flight [flight number] depart
from
[airport]?"

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Pictorial Representation of Voice Commands and how they work:

Say ok glass to give voice commands and to perform actions. Its simple.

1.

Say ok glass record video to start recording what you see, and share the video with friends.

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2. Say ok glass take a picture to capture the moment and make the memories that last forever.

4. Start a hangout to share the view to your friends using google plus.

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7. Translate your language into visiting local languages or to other languages.

8. ok glass get directions to Boynton Canyon Road to get directions to your favourite locations.

9. Sends a message to your friends and family by just saying ok glass send a message

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11. Never miss any flight ,meetings or train by getting automatic reminders by google glass.

Never hesitate to ask anything to glass, it will answer to almost all questions using its database.

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Pros and Cons


Pros:

Easy to wear and use.

Sensitive and responsive to the presence of people.

Fast access of maps, documents, videos, chats and much more.

A new trend for fashion lovers together being an innovative technology.

A spectacle based computer to reside directly on your eyes rather than in your pouch or pocket.

A useful technology for all kinds of handicapped/disabled people.

Cons:

Can be easily broken or damaged. Though Google wants these glasses to be as modest as
achievable, they seem to be extremely breakable. Users will have a tough time taking care of it.

These glasses show the retrieved data in front of users eyes so it will be a tough experience for them
since they will focus on that data and will eventually miss the surroundings that may lead to
accidents while driving.

The resource for running these glasses is still unknown. Will there be a battery or it will run using solar
energy?

Privacy of people may breach with new glasses.

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Future Scope
Google Glass is as futuristic a gadget weve seen in recent times. Its limited in
scope right now, but the future, Google believes, is bright and the device itself is
incredibly compelling.
Google is trying their hardest to push the Project Glass through the FCC this year.
Reports show that Google is trying to get the approval by the FCC this year but
there are already several hundred glasses made for testing internally.

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Conclusion
Google glasses are basically wearable computers that use the evolving familiar
technologies that brings the sophistication and ease of communication and
information access even for the physically challenged class of people those
literally could not use general way of palmtops and mobiles.

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Bibliography
We have taken the help from the following sources mentioned in order to
complete this report.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Glass http://www.smart-glasses.org/benefitssmart-glasses/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EyeTap
http://www.techpark.net/2012/02/29/google-glasses-with-virtual-andaugmentedhttp://www.techpark.net/2012/02/29/google-glasses-with-virtual-andaugmented-reality/reality/ http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1601355
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(operating_system)
http://www.webmd.boots.com/eye-health/news/20120411/will-google-glassesbe-safe
http://www.thenewstribe.com/2012/04/08/google-project-glasses-success-oranotherhttp://www.thenewstribe.com/2012/04/08/google-project-glassessuccess-or-another-failure/ - .UFMcL7LiaAAfailure/#.UFMcL7LiaAA
http://www.redmondpie.com/google-project-glass-gets-an-awesome-skydivingdemohttp://www.redmondpie.com/google-project-glass-gets-an-awesome-skydivingdemo-at-io-explorer-edition-up-for-pre-order-video/at-io-explorer-edition-up-for-preorder-video/

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