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20 Jul 2017

Google brings back Glass tech with focus on improving job productivity

Google’s Glass smart wear technology has been resurrected with job productivity in mind, two years on from the company scrapping its original consumer model.

The original technology, worn like a regular pair of glasses and fitted with a display offered hands free access to notifications, navigation and applications, with video and photography capabilities.

Creating a more comfortable to wear version with improved battery life, the Glass Enterprise Edition (Glass EE) was developed by X – a division of Google’s parent company Alphabet.

In addition to a number of hardware improvements, Glass EE can be decoupled from integrated frames, meaning it can be attached to prescription or safety glasses.

Speaking on the technology’s development, project lead Jay Kothari revealed that X had been working quietly with a number of companies – including GE Aviation, Volkswagen and The Boeing Company – to test the new version.

“Workers in many fields, like manufacturing, logistics, field services, and healthcare find it useful to consult a wearable device for information and other resources while their hands are busy,” said Kothari.

“That’s why we’ve spent the last two years working closely with a network of more than 30 expert partners to build customised software and business solutions for Glass for people in these fields.”

One of the company’s taking part in the experimental phase was agricultural machinery manufacturer AGCO. In that instance, AGCO used the technology to access checklists, view instruction manuals or send photos from tablets or laptops as they assemble machines. According to X, Glass EE has reduced machinery production time at AGCO by 25 percent and inspection times by 30 percent.

Now out of its experimental phase, Glass EE is available through a network of specialised partners rather than directly on the consumer market. Each partner will sell bespoke software tailored to each business with a focus on job productivity.

“We’ll be collaborating with the Google Cloud team and our partners to help customers across a variety of business sectors make the most of Glass,” said Kothari. “Together, we’re looking forward to seeing more businesses give their workers a way to work faster and in a more focused way, hands-free.”