Star Trek-Inspired Prototype Wearable Device Developed By Google

Google engineers developed a unique Star Trek-inspired prototype wearable device that may be designed to take advantage of the stored knowledge of the company. It may even become a communicator in the future.

The device is around the same size as a casino chip but a little bit thicker. Senior vice president Amit Singhal of Google demonstrated the device to Time as he wore it on his sweater. It can be activated through a simple tap. The Star Trek-inspired prototype wearable device features a microphone that picks up spoken queries and relayed to a smartphone through Bluetooth. The smartphone would use Google search to give an answer through a pair or headphones or a speaker.

Singhal said he “always wanted that pin,” apparently referring to the communicator used on Star Trek. He added that people only have to ask anything and it works. This gave the company the idea in developing a prototype.

Star Trek-Inspired Prototype Wearable Device Developed By Google - image credit: time.com

Google did not provide any other details about the Star Trek-inspired prototype wearable device. The tech giant has the propensity to create futuristic technology, which include self-driving cars and Wi-Fi balloons. When it comes to wearable devices, the company developed the Google Glass, which also took in what the wearer would say and uses wireless tech to provide Google search results.

The Android Wear software of Google is currently being used on a number of smartwatches offered in the market by some companies, including Tag Heuer, LG and Motorola.

Being a long-time Star Trek fan, Singhal considers his work at Google as an opportunity to bring science fiction into the realm of reality. He took note of this around three years ago during when the company posted a Google Doodle that honored the anniversary of the first time Star Trek was broadcast. He indicated during this time that Google search will eventually “become the Star Trek computer,” which is the best assistant he can use.

While the technology used on the Star Trek-inspired prototype wearable device is similar to the standard Bluetooth headset, it gives Google the opportunity to consider different ways of using its search tools.

Posted by George Daniels on Monday November 23 2015, 11:29 PM EDT. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Technology. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0