Intel’s Vaunt smart glasses look amazing!

Intel’s new Vaunt prototype smart glasses look like the real deal.

Smart glasses are a weird category, if the past shows us anything, they don’t usually appeal to a wide audience or aren’t affordable enough. The Google Glass was a piece of tech ahead of its time, while it was fantastic, it did look like it was out of a weird sci-fi film and it cost more than $1500! Intel wants to change that.

Snap’s Spectacles did not fare much better, they could not sell $40 million worth, mainly due to the complaints of the camera on the front. The Google Glass also had a camera on the front which really put consumers off, people did not like the prospect of being recorded without consent and more privacy concerns popped up the longer they were active.

This doesn’t mean that smart glasses concept will never work though.

Intel’s prototype Vaunt looks to do things differently than the rest, listening to all the complaints of previous smart glasses concepts. The main request was for smart glasses to look like regular glasses and not ones that completely stick out like a sore thumb. Intel has definitely listened from the design point of view, you wouldn’t be able to tell at a quick glance, it isn’t until you get closer and see how they’re chunkier than usual on the sides.

It bases itself on a basic design and a very minimalistic approach to the display. It shows you a minimal heads-up display that will only give you information that is deemed necessary in the scenario you are in. For example, it will show you reviews of a restaurant if you look at it or give you directions when you need them.

The display will show you a small monochrome box when you put on the glasses, small enough not to be a nuisance but big enough for you to read easily. It does this by projecting the image into your eye instead of onto the screen, this also helps people with bad sight as they will still see it clearly. You won’t have to strain your eyes to see and read in the box as well, it is placed perfectly, in your eye, so you can see it just fine.

The main difference between Intel’s prototype and the Google Glass is that Intel is not targeting and focusing on taking photos or video recording, in fact, it’s not present on the Vaunt. Intel has created the Vaunt so that it is giving you access to necessary data in a way that is very accessible without using your phone, tablet or computer.

As with all prototypes, there are some issues that need to be worked out. The biggest issue that Intels Vaunt has is that it needs to be specially fitted and adjusted for the user’s eye, which will surely make it harder for the general public to adopt. The users of the Vaunt, who wear prescription glasses, will also need their Intel Vaunts frames fitted with lenses as the image is projected into your eye and not onto the glass itself.

Intel is not targeting and focusing on taking photos or video recording, in fact, it’s not present on the Vaunt.

Intel is now rolling out a programme which allows developers to test units in a bid to fix the biggest issues the prototype has, in a bid to get them ready to become a marketable product. The prototype is in its very early stages and could go either way. They do look fantastic though and could be the next big thing.

Check out this video from The Verge –