Rumoured Apple augmented reality eye wear shadowed by flops from predecessors

Sources with close ties to Apple disclosed that the company had barked on a “secret project” amidst pressure for it to develop new and innovative products, various media outlets have reported.Apple has declined to comment on the rumored project.The Apple smart glasses project is aimed at having the wearable device connect wirelessly to an iPhone and display images within the wearer’s field of vision using augmented reality.{{image2-a:r-w:400}}This is similar to the previously launched Google Glass project which failed to take off in the consumer market due to design and operational probls.If the reports are true, this would be Apple’s first foray into augmented reality technology. The anonymous sources said the company may be targeting the release of the product by 2018. Bloomberg reported that Apple has already started procuring technology components for testing.One of the biggest challenges Apple faces is combining hardware and technology into a small-fit format which also needs to conform to comfort standards and make it wearable throughout the day.Some experts suggest that if the product launches successfully, it could benefit the eye-care industry by providing online eye tests for vision impairment conditions or other eye-related diagnostic capabilities. It may even be applicable for smart digital vision-correcting applications.It can also be developed to track and monitor the status of prescription lenses for a wearer that can also and notify the user if lenses are in need of replacent or visit an eye doctor.