Google Glass was an innovative idea that was introduced at the wrong time; though countless people reveled at the idea of computerized glasses, low sales and less-than-stellar reviews almost put the idea to bed — at least, among the average consumer.
As a result, Google Glass tried to help a variety of commercial applications. Even police officers had begun training with the help from Google Glass before abandoning the venture. Now, we rely on body cameras to keep our police officers honest, with 93% of citizens preferring its use. This wasn’t the first time that Google Glass had been tossed to the curb when it wasn’t able to meet expectations.
But the glasses have found a new purpose thanks to a Stanford University experiment. With a few tweaks to the system, the innovative lenses are now being used to help people with autism.
According to findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the researchers imbued the device with facial recognition technology, they began studying a group of participants with autism between the ages of six and 12. One of the first people to engage with the study was 10-year-old Esaïe Prickett. Prickett was six when he was diagnosed with the social disorder, making it difficult for him to communicate with those around him.
With the help of Google Glass, however, Prickett has been able to play games with his family members to improve his communication. Using the facial recognition technology, he’s able to determine which facial expressions his family members are displaying. Once Prickett tries to identify the emotion, Google Glass will feature an icon that only Prickett can see, letting him know whether he was right or wrong.
Known as the Superpower Glass, participants wore these glasses in conjunction with care therapy. At home, the young trial participants would engage with family members for 20-minute sessions four times per week over the span of the six-week study.
The result? Participants wearing Google Glass showed marked improvements in communication than the control group which only received standard therapy. Prickett’s family has noted the youth is better able to make and maintain eye contact than he was prior to the study. Researchers also suggest that the Superpower Glass also has the potential to measure changes in the behavior of the participant, a decidedly difficult metric to evaluate and track.
Superpower Glass was invented by Catalin Voss, who began innovating on Google Glass to help his own brother with autism back in 2013. A freshman at Stanford at the time, Voss was one of the first to outfit the device to recognize images. With help from Stanford Professor Dennis Wall, the duo was able to develop and conduct the study in question.
“I was trying to build software that could recognize faces. And I knew that there were people who struggled with that,” explains Voss in an interview with The New York Times. “It is a way for families to, on some level, provide their own therapy.”
Of course, the cost of Google Glass and the sensitivity of the device may pose a problem for some small children. While glass finishes in pools can almost indefinitely, Google Glass isn’t as thick as these applications. Additionally, the high cost of the product may become a financial burden on some families that aren’t able to afford them.
It’s the hope of Voss and other researchers that the device will be approved by the Food and Drug Administration for commercial use. This sect of the Department of Health and Human Services is in charge of approving medical devices. Though the trials show valuable data, it could still be many years before we see approval..or not. In the event it’s approved as a medical device, however, insurance costs may be able to mitigate the high price tag of the device.
It’s the hope of many families that new technologies will help children experiencing a variety of communication issues, whether that be because of autism or a speech disorder. It’s estimated that 5% of children entering kindergarten will have a noticeable speech disorder. In the meantime, the family of Prickett is happy with the progress he has made.
