The Golden-i is a futuristic wearable computer that you need to see to believe. The technology behind comes from the Kopin Corporation, but Motorola Solutions — the arm that makes enterprise solutions, not consumer products — has licensed the technology and plans to bring it to market by the end of the year (though the form factor may change). The Golden-i unit is a head-mounted PC running Windows CE embedded, controlled completely by gestures and voice. An internal accelerometer controls scrolling with head motion while dual microphones cut down on ambient noise. Just below the line of sight, there's a .44-inch display that appears to be 15 inches when it's in focus.

Motorola and Kopin see use cases in large industries ranging from manufacturing to healthcare to public safety. Currently available as an SDK for $2500, developers can customize the software to provide things like on-demand support and integrated tutorials. One use case shown is for a security guard to help locate a missing child in a convention center; the employee can view a map of the location, and view and control nearby security cameras before even arriving on the scene. Similarly, when paired with the optional camera attachment, users can initiate support calls that turn the headgear into a Bluetooth headset and allow the person on the other end to get the same exact view.

Specs wise, there's a TI OMAP 3730 processor clocked at 1 GHz, 512 MB of RAM, as well as 512 MB of internal flash storage. That's more than enough storage for the lightweight OS, though there is also a microSD card slot and mini-USB on-the-go slot for attaching peripherals or doing development work. It also has Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR, low-power Wi-Fi, and Verizon Wireless will offer a 4G dongle to provide connectivity everywhere.

The company told me that though it's aimed at the enterprise for now, this sort of technology will trickle down to the consumer space in due time. I mentioned see-thru displays as a possibility, but reps were quick to point out that they don't want to obstruct your view fully, but rather make it an opt-in affair. Still, this technology is incredibly cool and has progressed a long way since it was first shown off two years ago, so I'm excited to see what the future holds.

Source: The Verge

Kopin and Motorola's Golden-i head-mounted PC Pictures

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