Heads Up Displays (HUDs)

I can imagine a workable heads up display for day to day use. It would take the form of ordinary glasses and overlay real time annotations and then localised information can be "offered" to the HUD. I am not talking about displaying it all the time - I think that would be too invasive. The user would of course need to be able to choose what and when the annotations would activate, in the same way I can choose when to look at my phone.

For this to come together making a revolutionary step in technology I think three things have to come together:

1. HUD technology to display data and images onto transparent material in a form factor that is comfortable and cosmetically acceptable.
2. Maps and databases that are indexed by GPS and image processing data
3. Powerful and intelligent video and image processing capabilities

It seems to me that these things are now materialising:

Samsung's latest mass produced 3D TV glasses are now  blue tooth enabled, rechargeable and have a lightweight form factor. Take these qualities and combine them with Sony's concept video glasses that overlay Video onto clear glasses and you are nearly there.

The real cleverness though is not the hardware, it is the software that can figure out wear you are (GPS) and what you are looking at (compass+database) for the static content like buildings. For this you only have to look at the brilliance of Google maps and Google streetview as applied to a mobile phone and combine this with image metadata searching  and actual image searching such as TinEye.

Then for the really hard (and cool) stuff you need image processing to analyse the dynamic content like people. Moving licences plates can be solved (automatic toll Bridges), so can moving faces (automatic airport security).

 

It is little wonder then that Google are looking at things like dynamic real time advertising on phones that is intelligent as to where you are - to lure you into the adjacent shops. And online purchases, not to clip the ticket but for the data. It is not much of a jump to get that phone to also relay the precious information to the glasses which know which way you are looking? Ooh scary thought they might want to track where I was looking too!

Why Blog?

I use to wonder why people blogged. To me it always seemed to be somewhat egotistical, perhaps even soapbox yelling rude. But recently I have started to think that there might be something more to it. I mean people choose whether they will read your materal, or follow the Google search link that takes you there. And perhaps I might just have a thought that is interesting to someone else? A thought that might trigger a cascade of dialogue, perhaps even one day leading to something grand ... or maybe just pose some interesting reading to enjoy.

So here goes it my first blog post, I don't know where this will lead, or even if a theme will develop. But right now I have a firm belief that I should write down some of my thoughts. This will be kind of like a diary of ideas and experiments that will at worst be of interest to me in reflection, and at best provide a small contribution to the wealth of internet knowledge we all enjoy