tiny projector to display information in your
field of view. The project was ultimately
scrapped, though similar concepts are now in
development at many companies. At Apple, it’s
widely expected that the “computer brain” of the
device will be powered from the cloud, or from
a local computer box, like a smartphone in your
pocket. This would make it easier to offer more
advanced functionality, without needing to pack
everything into a tiny augmented reality glasses
frame. It’s likely that the unit will contain small
cameras for environmental tracking, and direct
retinal projection to actually get the images into
your eyeballs. Perhaps the most interesting thing
is that, in time, this concept could replace every
screen we use today; rather than needing a large
television, you could have content streamed into
your glasses; it’d remove the need for a screen
entirely, with applications that can float around
you, in whatever form and style that’s most
useful to you. Say, for example, you’re headed to
an important meeting in town early tomorrow
morning; you can set an alarm, and see a physical
alarm clock appear on your bedside table when
you wake up. This all might sound like pie-in-
the-sky thinking, but screens will soon become
obsolete, replaced with FIGLAB designs.
In the longer term, using AR to create a “human
interface” could help us reach an augmented
reality world, where without wearing glasses,
things would look strange. It could be a bit like
watching a 3D movie at the theatre without
wearing the 3D glasses. It will take many years
for innovators to develop AR glasses that can
replace our smartphones, TVs, laptops, and
other devices, but technology analysts say
happen in the next few decades.
Image: Future Interfaces Group / Carnegie Mellon University