Blindingly Obvious(BO): Google Glass

Google Glass and the Blindingly Obvious

Apparently, if you stick something in front of your eye, it will limit your field of vision.

Isn’t that fascinating?

Who would have guessed that?

Researchers have discovered that wearing Google Glass will produce a significant blind spot which could negatively impact on driving, pedestrian safety and sports.

I need to sit down!

In some ways I am glad that those glasses only produce a blind spot. If that is all they do?

But think not just about the device that obstructs the users field of vision but about the use of the device itself.

Do we need to worry about drivers being distracted because they are reading emails or making video conference calls?

That guy who walks out in front of a bus he just didn’t see, and it was nothing to do with him booking concert tickets on-line while he happily stepped off the pavement. 

And the daredevil who was making a video of his downhill mountain bike ride, and who lies concussed on the ground just didn’t see the tree branch because it was in his blind spot.

I am so relieved.

You can read the details of the study here:

Lead resarcher Tsontcho Ianchulev, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of California, San Francisco, and his team note that the findings are worrying because peripheral visual field is a main component of vision and essential for daily activities such as driving, pedestrian safety, and sports.

The study revealed that wearing Google glass produced significant scotomas (blind spots) in all the participants while wearing the device, creating a clinically meaningful visual field obstruction in the upper right quadrant. The findings will be published in the journal JAMA.

Blindingly Obvious: An adjective describing something that is so plain to see that it is easily overlooked.

Note: Not to be confused with someone who's obviously blind!