Everyone has heard about (and probably lusted after) the Google Glass, a revolutionary gadget worn as a pair of glasses. It creates a visual augmentation experience unlike any other as the device acts as a camera, microphone, video camera and navigation tool all at once. Not long after the launch, rumors surfaced of Chinese company, Baidu, manufacturing a rival, and soon Microsoft were getting in on the act with their own similar devices. But now, Japanese designer and entrepreneur, Takahito Iguchi, has unveiled a prototype for a brand new device called Telepathy One.
Though the name may not trip as smoothly off the tongue as the ‘Google Glass’, the design itself is certainly slick. Unveiled at South By Southwest (SXSW) as a prototype where Google Glass first made its debut, visitors flocked to try out Google’s new rival. On first look, it seems fairly insignificant with its light, wraparound frame. The device is designed to be distraction-free, stripping down the Google Glass frame down to the bare minimum, with a halo-like band worn around the head. According to Iguchi, the main problem with Google Glass is that they’re simply not cool. It’s true. Since the launch, websites have already sparked up naming and shaming people wearing their Google headsets and looking… well… ridiculous.
In terms of the technical spec, exact details are difficult to pin down but the basis for the functionality is clear. The device is designed to connect to the user’s smartphone via Bluetooth, enabling them to stream files and photos directly to the device to be viewed on the projection display. Similarly, any images can be swiftly and easily transferred to the smartphone. Unlike the Google Glass which focuses on capturing, videoing and photographing, the Telepathy One is aimed more towards communication and sharing, perhaps in the hope that one purchase will lead to many more.
It’s also designed to be more fun for the user. In traditional Japanese style, the first prototypes of the Telepathy One showed off the creators’ creative flair with a special Manga Camera, a photo-editor used to create manga comic cartoons from ordinary photos. How much will it cost? Unlike the Google Glass’s hefty price tag reserving it only for the rich, famous (or hopelessly irresponsible), Iguchi plans to launch the Telepathy One at a more accessible price.
But it’s not just the device itself which aims to take on the Google empire, it’s Iguchi himself. The small team who have created the device began their project in the heart of Tokyo but soon found the area limiting in terms of gaining exposure for their gadget. As Iguchi himself confesses, Tokyo is one of the technology capitals of the world but presenting new gadgets to the rest of the world are the problem. So, to Silicon Valley, US, the team travelled where a team of software engineers got to work. Iguchi is hailed as a new face for this small brand, working in his shared office in San Francisco plotting to take on the Google force. Is the Telepathy One likely to outshine the Google Glass? It’s difficult to say, but with Iguchi’s confidence, self-belief and strong hopes for building relationships with his consumers, there’s certainly no reason why not.