What can Vuzix Smart glasses mean for the current Android Developers?
Introduction
Augmented Reality Glasses are smart wearables that put virtual content right in front of our eyes. The Vuzix Blaze Smart Glasses is one such example. Even though I don’t have the hardware (i.e Vuzix Blaze Smart Glasses), I was curious to know how can a developer who is passionate about Augmented Reality can get started with AR Glasses App development. This is a short article where I mention how Vuzix Blade App Development is similar to Android Development and what you, as an Android Developer, should look forward to.
Overview & Resources
Android Developers are at an advantage over here because developing Vuzix Blade Apps seems very similar to Android Development according to their official documentation. Plus, if you are already an Android Developer you will be delighted to know that you can get started inside Android Studio.
Here is a list of the Android APIs that you should take a look into while developing for Vuzix — Camera, Sensor, Bluetooth, Database. Also, you can develop using Java or Kotlin. The only thing to keep in mind is that the interactions are different from Android smartphones. Communication between apps can be done via Bluetooth and wifi just like any other application for Android smartphones. If you follow their guidelines, you should be good to go. Is your Android Sense tingling?
Below are two links that I shortlisted, which should be enough to get you started at least😀
Apart from those, there are even sample projects that you can checkout. Sample projects cover the basics of Blade Apps Development. You can even check out their how-to-videos here.
I didn’t find anything on how to launch an application in the Vuzix App Store in the docs. Perhaps they will update the documentation later on.
My thoughts
As someone who knows Android Development, Unity Development, and AR/VR Development, I believe the capabilities of this device will be enhanced with Machine Learning integration using libraries like Firebase MLKit or OpenCV. Firebase MLKit and OpenCV are totally compatible with Android SDK. I don’t see any reason why they shouldn’t be compatible with Vuzix Blade Apps. Besides, Vuzix has support for Native Android APIs which gives developers even more room for experimentation and creating apps that are impactful.
Conceptualizing different architectures for the Vuzix Blade Apps and experimenting around with them requires access to a Vuzix Blade Glass which, as of now, I don’t possess. There are endless research and development opportunities here, especially for someone who has skills in Android Development, a huge passion for AR/VR, and who understands UX Design for AR/VR. The upcoming years are going to be huge and we might see a peak in the number of innovative applications in the AR/VR domain. Design concepts like below won’t just remain a concept!
Conclusion
It’s worth mentioning here that, Google(the brain behind the Android SDK) has acquired Project North which is another product belonging to the Smart Glasses category. There is a fierce competition in this area right now. Also, there are rumors going all around Twitter that Apple will be launching Augmented Reality glasses in 2023. It’s exciting to imagine what lies ahead.
Don’t forget to give us your 👏 !
