Augmented reality glasses give wearers X-ray vision

It’s an age-old question that – let’s face it – many of us have pondered from time to time. “If you were to become a superhero, which super power would elect to have?” For those of you who answered with a resounding “x-ray vision,” (and I’ve always wondered about you, but I digress) your time has come. Mini – yes, of the car-making fame –debuted their prototype of augmented reality glasses at the Shanghai Auto Show last week to much acclaim. 

The natural comparisons to Google Glass started almost immediately, and many agreed that Mini seems have gotten it right on the “we actually know what to use this for” front. Officially named (at least, at this point in time) “Mini Augmented Vision,” these glasses have been designed specifically for driving. With a distinctive aviation goggle-esque look, the Mini Augmented Vision glasses have been designed to overlay digital information, showing driving directions, speed limits and other points of interest. 

The goggles were designed by BMW’s DesignworksUSA and incorporate a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor as well as Qualcomm’s software platform Vuforia, which has been specifically created for augmented reality applications.

One of the most intriguing features of these new glasses involves the “X-ray” vision application, which utilizes the ever-increasing number of roadside cameras outside the vehicle to allow a driver wearing the glasses to see a camera feed of what’s going on outside. By pointing his or her head to the side of the car, a live feed from surrounding cameras can help the driver parallel park or avoid hitting an animal that may be running through the streets. 

Those who have actually tested the Mini Augmented Vision glasses have indicated that they look and feel similar to augmented reality glasses previously debuted by Osterhout Design Group, a San Francisco-based startup. That makes sense, seeing as how ODG served in a co-development role for these Mini glasses. To date, ODG’s technologies have been primarily utilized in military and industrial applications, but the company has indicated it is looking for ways to become more ingrained in the consumer applications space.  

At this time, Mini has released no pricing details or anticipated dates for sale to consumers (if it ever even happens), so only time will tell whether these augmented reality glasses – and their x-ray vision technology – will hit the mainstream. But the technology is obviously available, so it’s realistic to assume we could all be walking around with X-Ray vision in the not-too-distant future. I don’t know whether to be intrigued or terrified by that fact.

Via Forbes