Smart glasses are poised to be the next frontier of wearable tech, but how will smart glasses change the way we travel?
A Focused inSights smart eyewear report found that over a third of Americans plan to buy tech-enabled eyewear within the year. This comes on the heels of recent survey results indicating that 40% of US adults intend to travel even more in 2024 than they did in 2023.
In today’s increasingly interconnected world, smart glasses could play a pivotal role in making travel more accessible, documentable, and convenient than ever before.
So, let’s take a closer look at three ways smart glasses could change the way we travel.
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Hands-Free Photography and Videography
As travelers, we often travel to make memories, and documentation is a part of that process.
But, as we’ve discussed in our guide on how to make a travel video, capturing good-quality footage — especially with a busy travel itinerary — isn’t always easy.
Smart glasses can address this pain point by facilitating hands-free documentation.
As a brand that has always been ahead of the curve, Ray-Ban anticipated this shift.
In partnership with Meta, some of the most recognizable Ray-Ban sunglasses and eyeglasses frames have been reimagined into smart eyewear that introduces an exciting new way to capture content.
For example, the Ray-Ban Wayfarer smart glasses come equipped with an ultra-wide 12-megapixel camera so you can capture your exact point of view completely hands-free.
With a five-mic array, immersive videos will feature rich, crisp audio, too.
Additionally, the glasses allow you to livestream directly to social media, so it’s easy to share special moments with family and friends in real time.
All of this allows you to capture your adventures while still being able to immerse yourself more deeply in a new destination.
Augmented Reality Tourism
Augmented reality (AR) is taking over the world, and it may very well change how we get to know our surroundings.
In terms of travel, this can result in new ways to tour.
Not everyone has access to a seasoned tour guide, and some travelers prefer to explore new places by themselves, just as one would by listening to an audio-guided tour in a museum.
This is where smart glasses could step in, providing updated and localized information via audio while adding visual context through the lenses translated into the user’s native language.
Major tech players have taken on this challenge. Google ARCore and the Singapore Tourism Board recently collaborated to preview immersive AR experiences through the Visit Singapore mobile app.
Visitors can learn more about famous sites like Merlion Park and the Victoria Theatre, thanks to Google’s ARCore Geospatial API.
Technologies like this have the potential to make travel more inclusive in the future.
Language Translation Capabilities
While traveling, adventurers can hit a wall when language barriers are involved.
In a 2022 Duolingo survey, 28% of Americans said they planned to travel more internationally in 2023 than in 2022, but only 18% of Americans said they didn’t feel a need to learn the local language of their destination.
These findings could indicate that many American travelers think it’s important to communicate in the local language. Furthermore, some travelers may even worry about being able to communicate in an unfamiliar language while abroad.
Fortunately, smart glasses can provide real-time translation, allowing travelers to engage more deeply with locals and to ask for assistance when needed.
For instance, TCL’s RayNeo X2 optical waveguide glasses contain powerful assistant features, such as auto-translation and smart navigation, which are ideal for unbridled exploration.
Additionally, its lightweight body and full-color waveguide display allow for comfortable wear, even when one isn’t traveling.
Language features could open up more of the world’s underrated destinations in this way.
It may also encourage timid travelers to leave their comfort zones while boosting visitor rates and the local economy for locations that want to scale their tourism efforts.
Conclusion
As the popularity of smart glasses continues to soar, more travel-related applications will come to light.
The hope is that these budding technologies create opportunities for travelers everywhere to appreciate the world around them, all while staying conveniently connected.
Read Related Articles
- Cheap Vs Designer: How to Pick the Best Sunglasses for Travel
- How GPS-Guided Travel Articles Make Sightseeing Easier
- 10 Tips for Beginners to Create Compelling Travel Videos
- How to Start a Travel Vlog
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Image Credits
- Concept of augmented reality technology being used in futuristic smart tech glasses, © Kaspars Grinvalds/Adobe Stock
- Instagram image, @Ray-Ban | Meta
- Photo of a young woman looking out over Rome, © Vasily Makarov/Adobe Stock
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