Move Over Google Glass, These Fitness Tracking Glasses are Here to ‘Level’ the Competition

A couple of years back, Google-parent Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) attempted to hype-up the market with their ambitious Google Glass, a futuristic-looking device which through a screen that’s perched just over your right eye keeps track of e-mails and texts in a seamless way. Things turned out a bit differently though for the wearable product as the public considered it awkward to wear this new technology. Furthermore, the device was also not perceived as a general-purpose consumer type device.

VSP Global [VSP] started working with the University of Southern California [USC] Center for Body Computing in 2015 on something they called Project Genesis. They launched a pilot study test of the latest prototype of their fitness tracking glasses called “Level”. A selected number of participants in the research have received trial models of Level. They are fortunate enough to test the amazing technology of this wearable fitness tracking device. VSP hopes to provide options for people who are using devices like the Apple Watch and FitBit.

VSP Global is an eye care product and service provider. A group of skilled optometrists established the company in 1955. Since then, the company has been providing first-rate eye care products and services. In recent years, VSP has also partnered with different companies to further their involvement in offering advanced optometric solutions to their customers. In fact, they also helped Google during the inception period of the Google Glass.

Level took a different approach from the Google Glass as its tech is hidden inside a normal-looking frame. If you look at it, you wouldn’t think it was something more than a simple pair of glasses. But, its left arm has a gyroscope, magnetometer, and accelerometer embedded into it. These can track the activity duration, step count, distance traveled, and calorie count of the user.

The tech is then connected to a smartphone app where the user can check stats and receive updates. The app allows the wearers to earn points whenever they achieve goals. You don’t have to worry about misplacing your glasses as it also has a location feature they call ‘Find My Glasses’.

“The new Level frames forced us to reimagine the entire design and manufacturing process for eyewear,” said Leslie Muller, co-lead of VSP Global’s innovation lab, The Shop.

“With Genesis, we’re now adding additional value to the frame, but doing so in a seamless, fully integrated design that creates a richer experience for the wearer.”

“Designers collaborated with firmware and biomedical engineers, who collaborated with traditional eyewear craftspeople to produce something that is both technologically advanced but also seamless and beautiful.”

“Good design is so critical with something like eyewear because it’s the only man-made design product that sits on people’s faces, and eyewear actually is the world’s most successful wearable, it’s been around for 700 years.”

The Level Glasses currently has three different designs. Its battery can last for three days and needs only thirty minutes to be fully charged. The glasses are also water-resistant so you can wear it even if it is raining.

It is still uncertain when the final version of the Level Glasses will be released in the market. Nevertheless, VSP and the USC aim to release the results of their studies by 2017.

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