This is for those who wonder about the things and people around them (I sometimes fit this category).

Imagine a little LED display, 1 or 2 text lines, in your glasses, with a lens to refract it such that you can focus on your environment while reading it. It would be connected to a Bluetooth transceiver which would then receive 'status' signals from the things and people around you.

Maybe some otherwise-transparent LED's could show what transmitter was sending what signals and light up a crosshairs in the approximate direction; or perhaps a directional antenna in the glasses would let it only show the message from who or what you're looking at.

Then of course you would have your own device transmitting your 'status' to others (unless you don't want it to). Set your status when you start off the day, and change among the custom-set messages as needed. If you get mugged or something, the secret panic button (or heart-rate monitor, or somesuch) will cause the device to digitally scream 'HELP!' to those in your vicinity, perhaps even the police, while you yourself are silent. The villain suspects nothing, unless he knows about your device. If the device is ripped off before a set time, the alarm sounds anyway.

Could also be of use in traffic. In cars, we're too isolated from each other to really know, for example, whether that idiot pulled out in front of you 'cause he's a lamebrained, cockadoodie, ..., or he's truly in a hurry to get to the hospital, etc.

I could think of more uses for this, but I've got thinker's (halfbaker's?) block.
-- galukalock, Mar 12 2003

Hmm... baked I think, I'm not quite sure where I remember it, but sounds awfully similar to technology some companies were toying with.
-- XTi, Mar 12 2003


We did something like this quite some time ago. You'd walk around wearing these glasses and if you were interested in something you saw, you could receive information about it through the glasses (is how I remember it).

Better category?
-- snarfyguy, Mar 12 2003


3/4 baked: There is something very close out of MIT. Basically these people wear a computer that does visual overlay and when they look at certain patterns, the device retrieves the message/info associated with that.
-- JackandJohn, Mar 12 2003


This wouldn't use visual patterns, but would sort of home in and target the actual transmitter. On second thought, it'd probably be better to show crosshairs on someone's face instead of their...wherever they have their device.

Also, this wouldn't retrieve the preset info *you* programmed in, but the info the *device* was broadcasting.

Yes, it could use placement in a better category, but I can't figure out which.

And, if this is baked, I'd like to see a link.

<nitpick>Does the 3/4-baked version use Bluetooth?</nitpick>

Modification: if it has low enough power consumption, it could be human-powered, say, by a weight that turns a tiny generator a la certain watches, hand crank, etc.
-- galukalock, Mar 12 2003


Why? Just buy a set and don't use it.
-- snarfyguy, Mar 14 2003


It wouldn't be very hard to add configurability to it, so you could set how much/what info you wanted to receive.
-- galukalock, Mar 14 2003


<filter type="idiots">Where did everybody go?</filter>
-- Worldgineer, Mar 14 2003



random, halfbakery