Google Glass app for virtual communication

Imagine slipping on a pair of special glasses outside a club and being able to identify who’s got extra tickets for the concert simply by looking around. Once inside, you scan the crowd and find friends and acquaintances from afar, even when their backs are turned.

Google is already investing in technology at the University of South Carolina that could make scenarios like these a reality. USC researcher Srihari Nelakuditi, an associate professor in the College of Engineering and Computing, is a recipient of a Google Faculty Research Award and is developing the app for Google Glass with fellow researchers from Duke University.

The app called InSight uses ‘spatiograms’ gleaned from smartphone use to develop a ‘fashion fingerprint’ of the device’s owner based on his clothing and location. This information can then be shared with other users, allowing those wearing Google Glass technology to identify, and even communicate virtually with, others.

The InSight project, unveiled earlier this month, is already getting plenty of attention from techies and privacy advocates alike, with some worrying about potential misuse and the larger societal implications of loss of anonymity.

“We are aware of the privacy concerns with this kind of technology. That’s something we thought a lot about and that’s the reason [InSight] is designed as it is,” said Nelakuditi.

Unlike existing facial recognition technology that gets stored, identification through InSight is temporary - just shut off the app, change clothes and go back to being anonymous. “It’s something you have to opt in to,” said Nelakuditi, adding that the researchers intentionally avoided development of more permanent markers, like an individual’s gait.

InSight also is much better at identification since it doesn’t require a front view of a person’s face and utilises multiple data points to make a match. Early testing is showing accuracy rates of above 90%.

It’s not yet clear when Google Glass will start hitting the consumer market, but they could roll out as early as this year. Nelakuditi says whether InSight is a central feature of Google Glass or not, he already sees benefits from the project.