Google glasses set a lot of imaginations on fire, while leaving the real world relatively unscorched. Now Google has applied for a patent for marrying holographic displays to Google Glass. The company applied for the patent for “Lightguide With Multiple In-Coupling Holograms For Head Wearable Display” in early 2014.
According to TechCrunch, this will let Google use AR (augmented reality) techniques to superimpose CGI on the real world. It’s a patent application based on company research, so there’s no knowing how soon or if ever we’ll be using smart eyewear to play 3-D Minecraft while watching the kids in the back yard. Google isn’t saying.
The success of any holographic Google Glasses will depend a lot on the content, not the company’s strong suit. However, Google, Inc. has put a boatload of money into the AR startup Magic Leap, leading some business insiders to believe that company will be providing the content for Google’s smart glasses.
It’s not all fun and games, either. AR could link pilots to control tower data without taking eyes off the landing approach in RL. And Magic Leap’s website claims it can bring dragons and unicorns back into the world. It’s not the holodeck, but it’s a start.
