If there's one product that seems incredibly futuristic but is actually already available today, it's smart glasses. This neat piece of tech uses emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) to deliver multiple functions—from photo and video capture to hands-free communication and data displays—in a light, sleek package similar to regular eyewear. That's why it's no surprise that despite being around for a relatively short time, our Wearable Electronics Global Strategic Industry Report for 2024 lists it as among the top products in the market for wearable tech.
Indeed, there's no doubt that smart glasses will continue to be among this year's leading technological innovations. Here, we'll dive into their existing applications, implementation challenges, and the potential directions this product can take in 2024 and beyond.
Current applications
Consumer use
The entry-level applications for smart glasses best appeal to consumers for casual, everyday use. These involve multiple functionalities typically found in smartphones, such as calling, texting, and GPS navigation, allowing for a convenient hands-free experience. The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses exemplify this. The sunglasses from Ray-Ban, including the iconic Aviator and Wayfarer, are known for their timeless appeal. Despite that, the brand continues to innovate—partnering with Meta to turn these models into smart glasses. Wearers can use them to capture photos and videos (including livestreams), and then upload them to social media. An additional AI-powered assistant activated by the voice command "Hey, Meta" provides similar features to Siri, allowing for hands-free communication, real-time translation, and data retrieval.
Manufacturing
Technological advancements helped realize Industry 4.0 at the turn of the 21st century, with manufacturers now using AI to automate more processes in everything from research and development to supply chain management. More advanced smart glasses applications bring that even further by also leveraging AR. That's best illustrated by the smart glasses one company developed in-house to streamline its operations. Crown Holdings primarily manufactures beverage cans and is best known as the world's second-largest producer of these items. However, it's always finding ways to improve its processes, which is why its Digital Optimization Team developed smart glasses that helped them work through the pandemic. Today, the brand continues to use these glasses to view and share electric diagrams and conduct remote maintenance through built-in microphones, speakers, cameras, and HD displays.
Healthcare
This is another major industry that benefits from implementing smart glasses. Here, AR functionalities allow for better simulations in education and training, especially in fields like surgery. Smart glasses also streamline doctor-patient interactions by facilitating the hands-free documentation of patient information and remote assessment and diagnosis for long-distance telehealth and general practitioners who need second opinions from specialists. Smart glasses from Vuzix, like its M400 model, take things further with additional features. That includes face-blurring capabilities to protect patient privacy during data entry. The glasses also boast AI that can precisely measure wound areas for wound care and quickly identify affected organs in X-rays.
Challenges
Despite the many technological advances provided by smart glasses' various use cases, some barriers still affect their widespread implementation. Some of the common drawbacks of using them include a bulk that's uncomfortable to wear, low-quality displays, and poor battery life. These ultimately boil down to a balancing act that's difficult to achieve: juggling processing power with the wearability of the final product. Privacy is also a major issue, with researchers from Cornell University pointing out that smart glasses wearers may accidentally or purposefully capture other people without their consent when taking photos or videos.
The future of smart glasses
Despite the above challenges, smart glasses are still poised to get better in 2024 and beyond. The principles behind Moore's Law, which state that computers will become smaller and faster as our knowledge of technology grows and manufacturing processes improve, mean that smart glasses may soon strike that balance between form and function. Innovations like the Vuzix M400's face-blurring feature can also be implemented across the industry to resolve privacy concerns. Ultimately, we may see more advanced industrial smart glasses applications reach mainstream users soon, where they'll be used for everything from health and fashion to gaming and business. These truly "smart" glasses will not only use AI to serve as hands-free smartphones—they'll more effectively leverage AR to superimpose digital elements on a user's environment.
JEREMIAH SMITHSON is a freelance writer obsessed with all things tech. His pieces aim to bring the latest updates on various innovations made with emerging technology. In his free time, you'll find him looking at vintage cars online or taking weekend hikes.
