If all goes well, Google’s Glass project will be available to the public sometime in 2014, which will mark a change in how we view the world…through “Glass.” There is a lot of interest in Glass, and rightly so, because of the many possibilities they offer to their wearers. Many of the interested and potential buyers want to know when they will support prescription lenses – and it looks like the wait will be a short one. Rochester Optical has jumped on board and announced, at the end of December, that they would be selling custom Glass frames starting at only $99 with pre-orders starting shortly after 2014 CES.
Rochester recently sent out a questionnaire to gauge exactly what the public was looking for – colors, materials, tinting options, shapes – in their Glass prescription. All prescription glasses can be purchased for different purposes, such as; a pair for work, for sporting events, formal wear, or casual occasions. We were not sure how the Rochester glasses were actually going to look, until today, when they released some actual photos and a video.
Check out the video below and it will give you an idea of what approach Rochester is taking in their design and execution of prescription Glass – nothing really unusual and much like the prototypes we have already seen. Take a look and let us know what you think.
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/83313462[/vimeo]
The video only hints about what will be available and we should see several colors, such as Shale, Tangerine, Charcoal, Cotton, and Sky – but there will be more coming. While they will look like conventional glasses, just like our selection now, there will be several shapes. If Google expects to sell millions of these devices, they will need to be available to prescription glass wearers – after all, we are the ones that are used to wearing glasses.
Tim Moore, a Wearable Technologist, posted on Google+, how one longtime Glass wearer explained the importance of making Glass available in prescription lenses when he said:
“Prescription Glass lenses is another step in making HUD less of a novelty and more a mainstream accessory for everyone.” – +Robert Scoble, in Forbes.
Let us know on our Google+ Page what you think of Google’s Glass and if you plan on purchasing a pair when made available to the public.