technology: August 2014

GOOGLE GLASS TECHNOLOGY

Google Glass is a type of wearable technology with an optical head-mounted display (OHMD). It was developed by Google with the mission of producing a mass-market ubiquitous computer. Google Glass displays information in a smartphone-like hands-free format.Wearers communicate with the Internet via natural language voice commands. Google started selling Google Glass in the USA on April 15, 2014 for a limited period of time for $1500,before it later became officially available to the general public on May 15, 2014 for the same price. Before that users were required to receive invitations before they could try Google Glass.

Google provides four prescription frame choices for $225.00 U.S and free with the purchase of any new Glass unit. It is necessary to remove a small screw in order to move the Google Glass from one frame to another. Google entered in a partnership with the Italian eyewear company

Development

Google Glass (2013) and Steve Mann's Digital Eye Glass (1980) on exhibit at the "History of AR Vision" exhibit at the 2013 Augmented World Expo. Both are shown recording video with each device lit up accordingly.

Google Glass was developed by Google X,the facility within Google devoted to technological advancements such as driverless cars.
Google Glass is smaller and slimmer than previous head-mounted display designs.
The Google Glass prototype resembled standard eyeglasses with the lens replaced by a head-up display.In the summer of 2011, Google engineered a prototype that weighed 8 pounds (3,600 g); it is now lighter than the average pair of sunglasses.
In April 2013, the Explorer Edition was made available to Google I/O developers in the United States for $1,500.

A Glass prototype seen at Google I/O in June 2012

The product began testing in April 2012. Sergey Brin wore a prototype of the Glass to an April 5, 2012, Foundation Fighting Blindness event in San Francisco.In May 2012, Google demonstrated for the first time how Google Glass could be used to shoot video.
In June 2014, Nepal Government adopted Google Glass for tackling with the Poachers of wild animals and herbs of Chitwan International Park and other parks listed under World heritage sites. Gurkha Military currently uses Google Glass to track the animals and birds in the jungle. This operation led to the latest development in Military operation. Google Glass was used in Military for the First time in the world by Nepal.^[23]

Release Date

American citizens over the age of 18 are able to join the open beta for Glass. A wider release is estimated later this year.

Features

Loïc Le Meur controls Google Glass using the touchpad built into the side of the device

Touchpad: A touchpad is located on the side of Google Glass, allowing users to control the device by swiping through a timeline-like interface displayed on the screen. Sliding backward shows current events, such as weather, and sliding forward shows past events, such as phone calls, photos, circle updates, etc.
Camera: Google Glass has the ability to take photos and record 720p HD video.
Display: The Explorer version of Google Glass uses a Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS), field-sequential color, LED illuminated display.The display's LED illumination is first P-polarized and then shines through the in-coupling polarizing beam splitter (PBS) to the LCoS panel. The panel reflects the light and alters it to S-polarization at active pixel sites. The in-coupling PBS then reflects the S-polarized areas of light at 45° through the out-coupling beam splitter to a collimating reflector at the other end. Finally, the out-coupling beam splitter (which is a partially reflecting mirror, not a polarizing beam splitter) reflects the collimated light another 45° and into the wearer's eye.^[26]^[27]

Software

A Google Glass with black frame for prescription lens.

Applications

Google Glass applications are free applications built by third-party developers. Glass also uses many existing Google applications, such as Google Now, Google Maps, Google+, and Gmail.
Third-party applications announced at South by Southwest (SXSW) include Evernote, Skitch, The New York Times, and Path.
On April 25, 2013, Google released the Mirror API, allowing developers to start making apps for Glass.^[29]^[30] In the terms of service, it is stated that developers may not put ads in their apps or charge fees a Google representative told The Verge that this might change in the future.
Many developers and companies have built applications for Glass, including news apps, facial recognition, exercise, photo manipulation, translation, and sharing to social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter.
On May 16, 2013, Google announced the release of seven new apps, including reminders from Evernote, fashion news from Elle, and news alerts from CNN. Following Google's XE7 Glass Explorer Edition update in early July 2013, evidence of a "Glass Boutique", a store that will allow synchronization to Glass of Glassware and APKs, was noted.
Version XE8 made a debut for Google Glass on August 12, 2013. It brings an integrated video player with playback controls, the ability to post an update to Path, and lets users save notes to Evernote. Several other minute improvements include volume controls, improved voice recognition, and several new Google Now cards.
On November 19, 2013, Google unveiled its Glass Development Kit, showcasing a translation app Word Lens, a cooking app AllTheCooks, and an exercise app Strava among others as successful examples.
On May 15, 2014, Google announced 3 news apps TripIt, FourSquare and OpenTable in order to entice travelers.
On June 25, 2014, Google announced that notifications from Android Wear will be sent to Glass.

MyGlass

Google offers a companion Android and iOS app called MyGlass, which allows the user to configure and manage the device .

Voice activation

Other than the touchpad, Google Glass can be controlled using "voice actions". To activate Glass, wearers tilt their heads 30° upward (which can be altered for preference) or tap the touchpad, and say "O.K., Glass." Once Glass is activated, wearers can say an action, such as "Take a picture", "Record a video", "Hangout with [person/Google+ circle]", "Google 'What year was Wikipedia founded?'", "Give me directions to the Eiffel Tower", and "Send a message to John" (many of these commands can be seen in a product video released in February 2013).For search results that are read back to the user, the voice response is relayed using bone conduction through a transducer that sits beside the ear, thereby rendering the sound almost inaudible to other people.

Key findings of his research included:

The quality of pictures and video are usable for healthcare education, reference, and remote consultation. The camera needs to be tilted to different angle for most of the operative procedures
Tele-consultation is possible—depending on the available bandwidth—during operative procedures
A stabilizer should be added to the video function to prevent choppy transmission when a surgeon looks to screens or colleagues.
Battery life can be easily extended with the use of an external battery.
Controlling the device and/or programs from another device is needed for some features because of sterile environment.
Text-to-speech ("Take a Note" to Evernote) exhibited a correction rate of 60 percent, without the addition of a medical thesaurus.
A protocol or checklist displayed on the screen of Glass can be helpful during procedures.^{[citation needed]}

Dr. Phil Haslam and Dr. Sebastian Mafeld demonstrated the first concepts for Google Glass in the field of interventional radiology. They demonstrated the manner in which the concept of Google Glass could assist a liver biopsy and fistulaplasty, and the pair stated that Google Glass has the potential to improve patient safety, operator comfort, and procedure efficiency in the field of interventional radiology
In June 2013, surgeon Dr. Rafael Grossmann was the first person to integrate Google Glass into the operating theater, when he wore the device during a PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) procedure.^[94] In August 2013, Google Glass was also used at Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University. Surgeon Dr. Christopher Kaeding used Google Glass to consult with a colleague in a distant part of Columbus, Ohio. A group of students at The Ohio State University College of Medicine also observed the operation on their laptop computers. Following the procedure, Kaeding stated, "To be honest, once we got into the surgery, I often forgot the device was there. It just seemed very intuitive and fit seamlessly."
On June 21, 2013, the Spanish doctor Pedro Guillen, Chief of Trauma Service of Clínica CEMTRO of Madrid, also broadcast a surgery through the use of Google Glass.Thanks to the Spanish company Droiders, rights holder of this system in Spain, a chondrocyte implantation in the knee of a patient who was 49 years old, could be streamed worldwide over the internet, allowing another physician, Dr. Homero Rivas (Director of Innovative Surgery, School of Medicine, Stanford University, California), an expert in telemedicine, to participate in the surgery.
On the 28th of October 2013, Dr. Marlies P. Schijven was the first surgeon to livestream a laparoscopic surgical procedure directly to YouTube. In that same procedure, she was also in direct contact with Dr. Rafael Grossmann, being at the Games for Health Conference Europe. By doing so, it was also the first surgical procedure worldwide in which two surgeons both wearing Google Glass were able to interact live.^[96]^[97]
The November 16, 2013, in Santiago de Chile, the maxillofacial team led by Dr. Antonio Marino conducted the first orthognathic surgery assisted with Google Glass in Latin America, interacting with them and working with simultaneous three-dimensional navigation. The surgical team was interviewed by the ADN radio medium and the LUN newspaper.
In January 2014, Indian Orthopedic Surgeon Selene G. Parekh conducted the foot and ankle surgery using Google Glass in Jaipur, which was broadcast live on Google website via the internet. The surgery was held during a three-day annual Indo-US conference attended by a team of experts from the US, and co-organized by Dr Ashish Sharma. Sharma said Google Glass allows looking at an X-Ray or MRI without taking the eye off of the patient, and allows a doctor to communicate with a patient's family or friends during a procedure.
"The image which the doctor sees through Google Glass will be broadcast on the internet. It's an amazing technology. Earlier, during surgeries, to show something to another doctor, we had to keep moving and the cameraman had to move as well to take different angles. During this, there are chances of infection. So in this technology, the image seen by the doctor using Google Glass will be seen by everyone throughout the world," he said.^{[citation needed]}

Baby Eve with Georgia for the Breastfeeding Support Project

In Australia, during January 2014, Melbourne tech startup Small World Social collaborated with the Australian Breastfeeding Association to create the first hands-free breastfeeding Google Glass application for new mothers.^[98] The application, named Google Glass Breastfeeding app trial, allows mothers to nurse their baby while viewing instructions about common breastfeeding issues (latching on, posture etc.) or call a lactation consultant via a secure Google Hangout, who can view the issue through the mother's Google Glass camera.^[99] The trial was successfully concluded in Melbourne in April 2014, and 100% of participants were breastfeeding confidently.^[100]^[101] Small World Social Breasfteeding Support Project
In February 2014, Dr Brion Benninger (Sports Medicine, Clinical Anatomist, Reverse Translational researcher and Innovative Medical Educator), Professor from Western University of Health Sciences, Lebanon, Oregon, was the first to combine Google Glass with the SonicEye finger ultrasound transducer using a Fukuda-Denshi ultrasound system to view ultrasound images during physical examinations of the limbs, neck, thorax and abdomen. Benninger teaches a physicians hand is a palpation stethoscope, the ultrasound finger probe is a visual stethoscope and integrating them with Glass would provide a physician triple feedback during physical examinations (palpation, surface, and internal visualization).^[102]
In March 2014, Dr Brion Benninger (Sports Medicine, Clinical Anatomist, Reverse Translational researcher and Innovative Medical Educator) was the first to combine Glass with the SonicEye finger ultrasound linear and biplanar array transducers using a Fukuda-Denshi ultrasound system to prove that images can be successfully obtained from donor cadavers and live subjects.
On March 31, 2014, a startup company Dentyzion, founded by four dental students at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, announced the world's first Google Glass loupes. The dental technology and digital marketing consulting company designed the add-on to Glass and collaborated with SurgiTel who manufactured the magnifying optics according to the model. The loupe lenses are critical for Glass' functionality in dentistry and surgery by allowing dentists and surgeons to continue to use magnification while using Glass. The loupes also serves as a barrier for infection control, which reduces the risk of exposure to blood and other bodily fluids. The design has been well received amongst dental students and faculty at the University of Michigan. SurgiTel's Micro 2.5x optics that were installed are light weight and do not affect the comfort and balance for Glass users. Dentyzion is currently collaborating with the U of M to implement Glass in the dental curriculum.^[104]
In April 2014, doctors in Boston used Google Glass to save a patient's life by using a specialized software to scan through his history when it was revealed that patient had given incorrect information. This opened up the possibility for the device to become an integral part of medical care.^[105]
The first virtually augmented surgery in the Middle East was conducted in April 2014 at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) as part of the Global Smile Foundation (GSF) MENA mission in Lebanon in collaboration with the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at AUBMC. The virtually augmented surgery was carried out as part of a pilot program utilizing software by Vipaar, a remote video software company, which uses Google glasses to allow surgeons to communicate from thousands of miles away. The software was used during the surgical procedure on a two-and-a-half year old girl with a cleft lip. The Vipaar technology allowed Dr. Usama Hamdan, president of GSF MENA and Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sittah, head of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at AUBMC, to communicate with a Reconstructive Surgeon at New York University, Dr. Raj Vyas. Cleft Lip surgery on a young patient requires a tremendous amount of precision and that is why the surgery was selected to test the software. During the surgery, Vyas was able to see the surgery in the eyes of Hamdan and Abu-Sittah on his iPad in NYC. In turn, Vyas, who has previous experience with the Vipaar technology, virtually demonstrated where the incisions should be made. The surgical team in Beirut was able to see the surgical markings through the glasses as if they were on the patient’s face.^[106]
In June 2014, Dr Brion Benninger (Sports Medicine, Clinical Anatomist, Reverse Translational researcher and Innovative Medical Educator) was the first to successfully combine Glass with the SonicEye finger ultrasound transducer using a Fukuda-Denshi ultrasound system during an anatomy lab examination with first year medical students.^[103]
On June 13, 2014, the use of Google Glass for retina imaging, including video fundoscopy, was publicly demonstrated at the Wilmer Clinical Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland by Dr. Aaron Wang and Dr. Allen Eghrari. Using a modified Google Glass with accessory lighting and a 20 diopter lens, video capture provided a view of the optic nerve and retina through the dilated eye of a volunteer that was recorded and viewed by clinicians and scientists.
On June 4, 2014, a group of researchers from CRIMEDIM, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Italy, designed a visually-guided triage system and tested it during a full scale exercise involving 100 casualties. The application was able to guide the provider performing START Triage and send to the Dispatch Center information regarding geolocalisation, severity, pictures. Moreover, QR codes were used to assign a temporary ID to be used later for medical records, once admitted to a field hospital. It was the first use of Google Glass applied to Disaster Medicine.

Journalism and mass media applications

Pentatonix singer Scott Hoying wears Glass as part of the "Voice of America & Google Glass" series.

In 2014, Voice of America Television Correspondent Carolyn Presutti and VOA Electronics Engineer Jose Vega began a web project called "VOA & Google Glass," which explores the technology's potential uses in journalism.^[107] This series of news stories examines the technology's live reporting applications, including conducting interviews and covering stories from the reporter's point of view. On March 29, 2014, American a cappella group Pentatonix partnered with Voice of America when lead singer Scott Hoying wore Glass in the band's performance at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., during the band's worldwide tour - the first use of Glass by a lead singer in a professional concert.^[108]
Beginning in the fall of 2014, The University of Southern California will conduct a course called "Glass Journalism," which will explore the device's application in journalism.^[109]

Technical specifications

The Explorer's LCoS display optics use a PBS, a partially reflecting mirror

Terms of service

Under the Google Glass terms of service for the Glass Explorer pre-public release program, it specifically states, "you may not resell, loan, transfer, or give your device to any other person. If you resell, loan, transfer, or give your device to any other person without Google's authorization, Google reserves the right to deactivate the device, and neither you nor the unauthorized person using the device will be entitled to any refund, product support, or product warranty." This helps to prevent users from hijacking the device.
Wired commented on this policy of a company claiming ownership of its product after it had been sold, saying: "Welcome to the New World, one in which companies are retaining control of their products even after consumers purchase them. Others pointed out that Glass was not for public sale at all, but rather in private testing for selected developers, and that not allowing developers in a closed beta to sell to the public is not the same as banning consumers from reselling a publicly released device.Luxottica, owners of the Ray-Ban, Oakley, and other brands, to offer additional frame designs.

Wednesday, 13 August 2014

Development

Release Date

Features

Software

Applications

MyGlass

Voice activation

TECHNOLOGY

Development

Release Date

Features

Software

Applications

MyGlass

Voice activation

Journalism and mass media applications

Technical specifications

Terms of service