Smart glasses are expected to grow in volume from a mere 87,000 in 2013 to over 10 million a year by 2018, according to Juniper Research. But wearable technology isn’t new.
Smart glasses and similar technology are already used during surgery and medical procedures to see patient’s veins and inside their bodies. Construction workers also use smart glasses to see pipes in walls and streamline the building process to save time and money. But you don’t need to be a doctor or architect to reap the benefits of wearable technology right now. Here are a few smart glasses on the market that can make a big splash in your day-to-day business.
Streamline Your Business
Google Glass can do everything from taking a picture or record a video through voice command alone. Receive your text and emails and reply to them without ever picking up your smartphone or logging into your computer. Those features might be fun and make some parts of our day easier, but there are also ways Google Glass can make our operations at the office easier. Active Ants in the Netherlands used Google Glass to sort its inventory and ship. During its two-week long experiment, Google Glass helped reduced errors by 12 percent and increased overall speed by 15 percent.
Related: Why Are Blue Light Blocking Glasses Important?
Action-Packed Careers
Professional athletes can slip on a pair of Recon Jet glasses with an optical touchpad and camera, access to performance metrics and a dashboard that can tell your heart rate, power, and cadence. Athletes and those with action-packed careers who want to hit the ground running can try Oakley sunglasses, complete with UV and glare protection. Oakley has been designing with athletes and thrill seekers for years, and Revant Optics offs plenty of accessories and replacement lens options. Ideal for those golfing with clients or training for a bike race, the glare wards away headaches and keeps obstacles like potholes in your line of vision. A progressive lens helps you bring focus to objects either close or far to zero in on your performance.
Mobile Professionals
Slip on a pair of Epiphany smart glasses and tap into innovative face recognition, video editing, live streaming and access to music apps like SoundCloud. The glasses boast a simple, streamlined interface making them easy to use and are also weather resistant. Unlike many of the wearable technology devices out there, Epiphany has a clean, crisp design that resembles a standard pair of glasses. While you’re working out in the field or checking on a client project, record high-definition video right from its camera and post it to Facebook or your social media accounts.
Bootstrapping Businesses
Smart glasses can cost several hundred to thousands of dollars depending on its features and manufacturer. But NanoGlass currently runs just $25 and comes with a 320 x 240 display resolution. You can easily hook up your Bluetooth 4.0 and enjoy a lithium battery with 2-days of use. The glasses are an inexpensive way to dip your toe into the wearable technology waters without the $1,500 price tag of Google Glass. While you won’t get the same robust features Google has like voice command capability, you will get an introduction to wearable technology and get alerts for calendar reminders and texts.
How Will Smart Glasses Impact Your Career?
No one can predict how wearable technology like smart glasses will impact your business. We do know it can save time and streamline certain processes. You won’t need to dig out your smartphone every time you need to check your texts, snap a photo or take a quick video. Brainstorm ways wearable technology can help your business from using apps to translate foreign languages during client meetings to improving your market strategy. How will your company evolve with wearable technology and help attract new customers to your business?
