By C1 Staff
Imagine identifying an inmate with a single glance, or knowing exactly where your fellow officer is when the alarm goes up for assistance. Soon, all of that could be possible with a new pair of glasses that are primed to hit the market.
The simply named X6 spy glasses, created by the Osterhout Design Group of San Francisco, Calif., are looking to give competitors like Google Glass and the Oculus Rift a run for their money.
The glasses combine the abilities of the two aforementioned rivals, but the X6 claims to offer an ‘immersive experience’ that won’t block your vision. Built on a powerful, multi-core processor that uses a custom, optimized Android OS, the lenses of the glasses allow a high definition view of the world with 3D imagery.
Location, location, location
Peering through the glasses, one will see a flat, two-dimensional map that is quickly populated by three-dimensional buildings. This is supported by high-precision IMU sensors that enable a seamless, augmented experience with location-centric awareness.
The application pulls in a satellite photograph and then uses GPS coordinates from a server to populate the map depending on the location depicted. It can pass on information in the form of structures, special instructions, clues, and more, all without obstructing the user’s view.
This would assist anyone who needs to locate an officer or offender quickly in order to quell an altercation, or pinpoint a hostage situation. It also has obvious applications for training purposes.
Who’s that inmate?
The other major feature the glasses promise is the ability to identify people at a glance. The glasses utilize a biometric application created by Imagus Technology, founded by Dr. Brian Lovell. The application allows faces viewed through the glasses to be matched in real time with those in a database.
The application can identify a face at a resolution of just twelve pixels between the eyes.
Development is in the works on many more applications to come – imagine not only identifying an inmate, but receiving information on their crime and sentence, along with their current behavior in a facility. Corrections officers would be able to prime a response well before an inmate even contemplated making a move.
Imagine being able to read a heartbeat through a wall and be absolutely sure that an inmate is in their cell. Talk about situational awareness! The possibilities are endless.
Currently, the X6 is not available commercially. However, the Department of Defense is getting the first crack at them, having put in an order for 500 beta units. Maybe some of those will trickle down to our federal penitentiaries!