Editor’s Note: Related tickers: Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTN), Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT), L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LLL), General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA)
Are you excited about Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s Glass concept—learn more here—eventually making its way to the market? Is this wearable device something you are hoping to get your hands on as son as you are able to do so? Like many, you may be dreaming of the day when you can put this technology to good use.
Similarities
With all this in mind, you may be surprise to find that Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) is not exactly the first company to the punch. While Glass is unique in many ways, according to a recent Bloomberg Video, “the next trend in military tech looks a lot like Google Glass.”
Does this mean Google Glass could make it ways to a battlefield in some part of the world in the near future? While this has not been ruled out, it is important to note that many soldiers are already using similar technology.
For a better idea of what is available to the military right now, let’s take a closer look at what the video segment had to say:
“The airman looks out, he says an enemy camp that is partially marked. He can look at that, press a button on his wrist display, mark that target, which captures the coordinates of that target, that he can pass on to aircraft to eliminate it.”
Todd Lovell is the guy giving us all the information in this video. As the technology director for Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTN), he knows a thing or two about this type of technology and how it is being used by the United States Military.
He added the following while displaying some of the coolest technology you will ever see, as well as something that is quite similar to Google Glass:
“On his head you will see the helmet mounted display of the information of what is going on around him. On his wrist is a display controller that can display things like we are demonstrating here, like a moving map…”
Glass release
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s Glass eyewear is expected to be released in the fourth quarter of this year, and according to a research report from Forrester, 12% of the U.S. population is ready to get the device on their collective faces. While it’s estimated that a pair of Google glasses will cost between $300 and $500, defense contractors are working on wearable devices that are likely to be far more costly.
AWARE
Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTN) is developing the JTAC system, which stands for Joint Tactical Air Controller. Based on information from this walkthrough, Raytheon’s device will feature an ocular input over one of a soldier’s eyes, allowing the user to “separate friendlies from enemies and relay the information to strike forces,” and a wrist-based control system. The simplicity that these two contact points (the wrist and the eyes) provide is intriguing, and begs the question if Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) will eventually pair a wristwatch with its Glass devices.
