Object-recognition app to appear on Google Glass

26 Feb 2014

Google Glass

The first in a series of revolutionary apps have come to Google’s smartglasses, Google Glass, with the news recognition and augmented reality company Blippar is to implement its object-recognition technology in the hardware.

The first technical demo of the Google Glass using the Blippar technology was shown by Blippar’s CEO, Ambarish Mitra, at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Using the Bluetooth transmitter in the glasses to show his field of vision, Mitra impressed the audience by showing how the technology works in a real-world application and which could completely change how advertising companies market their adverts in the future.

His first example showed him browsing a fashion magazine that, when certain advertisements were viewed, would come alive and show a video advert from the company.

This was followed up by viewing a flyer for a natural history museum that triggered a 3D hologram of a dinosaur to appear out of the page.

Up until now, the technology implemented in Google Glass has involved relatively simple tasks, such as video recording, browsing and computer gaming.

The app is already available on all operating systems on smartphones and has given individuals and groups the ability to construct their own ‘Blippars’ to use with their products and advertising.

Speaking after his demonstration, Mitra said the potential for the technology in Google Glass is limitless: “Glass today can be likened to what mobile phones were in early Nineties. We at Blippar anticipate that if Glass reaches a couple million users in its first year of launch, it will be a good business opportunity for us to develop in the space. We are investing in the potential of Glass.”

However, so far the technology is still in development and there’s no word yet on when it is expected to be released to the general public.

Colm Gorey was a senior journalist with Silicon Republic

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