In 2014 Google, the most successful Internet based company in the world released Glass. A wearable tech that enabled a user to see the world around them enhanced with Augmented Reality. In spite of the extreme hype surrounding it and virtually every news organization in existence writing endless about it, ensuring millions of people who had never heard of wearable tech or augmented reality knowing about it, it failed. Causing the multi-billion dollar company behind it, industry darling Google to abandon the project.
Many though that this was the nail in the coffin for Augmented Reality. After all. The largest, richest company in the world jumped into the technology in a big way. They saw the future of AR and invested big and it crashed. Even they couldn't get AR mainstream, and if they couldn't do it, what chance do any of us stand?
I think the failure of Google Glass was; is a great thing. And the fact that one of the biggest companies in the world was behind it even better. And this is my reasoning.
Once you have an augmented reality display, you don't need any other form of display. Your smart phone does not need a screen. You don't need a tablet. You don't need a TV. You just take the screen with you on your glasses wherever you go.
Tim Sweeney
First off, Google Glass was a great idea. You're probably surprised to read that given what I previously wrote, but it was. Something wearable that allowed computer generated data and imagery to be overlayed onto your point of view. The potential was staggering. Look up into the sky and a weather forecast appears amongst the clouds. Look at a movie poster and a trailer plays in front of it. Look in a store window and an ad specifically designed for you plays in front window.
Sounds great. The dream of Augmented Reality as it's supposed to be. A world of information right at your fingertips via Google Glass.
The huge problem with that is two-fold.
1. It comes across that you need the wearable tech for this to be a reality. As we in the AR tech world all know, that is simply not true. Wearable AR tech is an option, and arguably, a better way to deliver information via AR. But to people hearing and learning about AR for the first time, the general public, the people we are supposedly designing this stuff for. They would be forgiven for believing that in order to experience AR, you need a pair of "weird internet glasses". In reality, all you need is a smart-phone, which most, if not all of them would already have in their possession.
2. The technology is too "future tech" to be immediately viable. For an industry to be hinged on a new tech that is unproven at best would be a disaster in the long run.
Goggle Glass wasn't pitched as, "This is the future with AR." It was pitched as, "This is AR now.". Completely leaping over a current technology that is already practically woven into the fabric of humankind; the smart-phone.
Google Glass or something like it will happen, eventually. Either when the wearable tech is advanced enough that the tech is unobtrusive, the goal of all wearable tech. Look stylish enough that you don't look like an extra from Back to the Future II, and/or AR as a technology has matured enough that the next stage of Augmented Reality; moving from the smart-phone screen to a head up display is seen by all as the next logical step.