Snapchat introduces glasses for virtual content

The creators of the Snapchat photo app were the first in the tech industry to introduce computer glasses suitable for everyday use, with which virtual content can be displayed in the user's field of vision. Such glasses are expected from Apple and Facebook, among others - but the developer company Snap overtook them with the presentation on Thursday. The "Spectacles" glasses only show the virtual objects in a limited part of the field of view. It is initially only available to users selected by Snap and is not available for purchase. The combination of digital content and the real world is known as augmented reality (AR). So far, the technology has mainly been used on smartphone screens, and Apple has been building on it for years. After starting out in fun functions and digital art, AR is being used more and more for business applications, said co-founder and boss Evan Spiegel. But it will probably only be possible to exploit the full potential of the technology with AR glasses in the next ten years. "Up to now we used AR on a small screen as if we were looking at the world through a toilet paper tube. If we have a much wider field of vision in the future and can use our hands free, it will create completely new possibilities." The biggest challenge in the development of AR glasses is currently finding the right balance between the largest possible field of vision for the digital content and the power consumption and the size of the components required, said Spiegel. One battery charge is currently enough for around 30 minutes. "The technological limitations of the hardware today demand a lot of compromises." Therefore, it will be a decade before the glasses are widely used by consumers, Spiegel estimated.