Summary
In 2013, Google launched Google Glass: the first pair of augmented reality glasses, allowing virtual elements to be superimposed on the real world. This major innovation could have initiated a real revolution, three years before the launch of the first Microsoft HoloLens, But destiny decided otherwise…
More exactly, this innovative product met with reluctance from the general public. The mount camera, in particular, has been viewed as a privacy threat by many and has come under heavy criticism. In February 2014, a woman was even attacked in a bar in San Francisco for wearing these glasses.
Since then, water flowed under the bridges. At the beginning of 2019, in order to shield the general public from the anxieties, Google launched a new version of its Glass specially designed for businesses.
Samsung wants to hide a camera in AR contact lenses
For its part, Samsung could have found another idea to get around this problem. The South Korean giant has just filed a patent with the US Patent and Trademark Office for augmented reality contact lenses with a camera. These lenses could be controlled using a smartphone app.
This device would make it possible to take advantage of the features provided by AR glasses equipped with cameras, without attracting the attention of crowds since it will be totally invisible. However, by launching such a product, Samsung is likely to attract the wrath of privacy advocates...
Anyway, it is for the moment only a patent. It is not yet known whether Samsung really intends to develop and market its augmented reality contact lenses ...
