And this is exactly what Google Glass
is pioneering. The Google Glass principle is to work as a smartphone device which
completely frees up your hands. You can send text messages, set reminders, take
photos or navigate your way around new cities, all just by giving a voice
command. These examples of the uses of Glass are the mere tip of the iceberg,
with the tiny screen projected at the top right corner of your vision compatible
with a vast range of applications.
Whilst undoubtedly this is an
incredibly impressive and innovative technology, the number of people glued to
their smartphones is already removing us from reality enough. According to The
Telegraph, the average user taps away for over 2 hours a day even though only
12 minutes of this time is actually spent using the traditional phoning function.
Concerns have been raised about the risk that these glasses, which connect you
to the internet 24/7, will push us further down this rickety road. Whilst
Google Glass has opposed this criticism by suggesting that their device
provides the option for the wearers to be looking up and around at the real
world rather than be looking down at their phone, and yet still being made
aware of those essential emails, I can’t see this device becoming mainstream with
the public in the near future, especially not with the expected hefty price tag;
the developer version costs £985 although the consumer version is expected to
be a little cheaper.
However I do believe the glasses
could have many useful applications, worth disrupting your vision for. One of
these such functions will be in the world of healthcare. This can be from a
consumer point of view and offer an expansion of the already wearable devices
on the market. The athlete competing in endurance races can have reminders pop
up in his vision to rehydrate or re-energise when devices measure that blood
sugar levels are falling. Alternatively those who are on a health kick can be
advised of the healthy choice on the menu when Google Glass identifies the
restaurant they have just arrived at.
There are a whirlwind of
possibilities of technological advances for the pharmaceutical industry as well
as doctors using the Google Glass. Philips and Accenture have partnered to come
up with a concept allowing physicians to summon patient details, thereby giving
them access to important information such as vital signs, allergies and weight,
all whilst remaining hands free to perform procedures and concentrate on the surgery
or examination in progress.
Other possibilities lie in field
of pharmaceutical sales. Evolving from the iPad and other sales materials, the
Google Glass can give sales reps quick answers to doctor’s questions by
providing information such as insert leaflets as an app on the Google Glass system.
These huge potentials are
obviously still in the pipeline, with the Google Glass yet to be released for
general sale. However if we are listening to the rumours, we can expect the
Google Glass to be launched some point towards the end of this year or at the
beginning of 2014, and it will be interesting to see how the Google Glass
capacity grows…watch this space!
For more information on how we
think the world of healthcare technology is changing, get in touch with us.
Follow us @BrandingScience on Twitter or visit our LinkedIn company page.
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Becky Geffen Graduate Research
Executive
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BSc (Hons) Natural Sciences from Newcastle
University majoring in medicinal chemistry
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MSc Pharmacology from Oxford University
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Research experience in anticancer drug design and
the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance
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