Oakley preparing to compete with Google's Project Glass
updated 09:55 am EDT, Tue April 17, 2012
Eyewear maker testing projection tech
Oakley is reportedly developing technology that may rival Google's Project Glass endeavors. In an interview with Bloomberg, Oakley CEO Colin Baden said the company is currently testing an eyewear-based projection system that is capable of presenting information directly onto a lens and controllable via voice command.
“As an organization, we’ve been chasing this beast since 1997,” Baden said.
The company expects its first wearable heads-up display (HUD) glasses to be targeted at athletes as a "halo point," working as a standalone display or connected to smartphones via Bluetooth, while subsidiary Eye Safety Systems is considering using similar technology in eyewear that would be destined for government and military use.
Baden suggests the company has been working on HUD technology for approximately 15 years, though the first HUD models that arrive on the market are nonetheless expected to carry high price tags.
The company has yet to provide full details surrounding its future products, leaving uncertainty as to wether such HUD glasses will prove to be a competitor to Google's technology. The search giant has begun promoting the concept, however it has yet to publicly confirm rumors pointing to public availability by the end of the year.
