"Technicians, engineers and individuals working in healthcare, maintenance and manufacturing will find the smartglasses particularly handy, making it easier and quicker to complete daily tasks. 'In many jobs you can't glance back and forth at information, so it's useful if the information is overlaid in your line of vision.'"
Smartglasses have received a lot of hype in the consumer market, but the applications in the workforce are seemingly endless. Automation of the knowledge worker is a current hot topic, but what about the blending of man and machine? Computers have provided processing power to compliment mental abilities, and now devices like smartglasses can compliment human's physical capabilities. How many of you had or wished you had dual monitors at work? You can imagine the possibilities of overlaying visuals through smartglasses and eliminating extra screens.
Technology that tracks eye movement already exists; imagine incorporating this into Google Glass (next generation?) where users can scroll text or change displays as they read or look in a different direction. I don't see Google Glass taking off in the consumer market until social norms change, but their application in the commercial space seems more realistic. The same technology in contacts seems more likely to be adopted by consumers from a fashion perspective (1 pixel proof of concept).
I may think that $1 billion is bit exaggerated in terms of savings.. But again, it may not be if we truly think about the possible efficiency gains and the reduction or elimination of slack that we have built into the system.
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