

Doctor Performs First Google Glass Equipped Surgery - mindcrime
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2420852,00.asp

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chrsstrm
If I read the article correctly, all he did was use Glass as a live-stream POV
camera. How is this different than the pre-Glass era?

I think what would be significant is if Glass were able to enhance his ability
as a surgeon during the procedure, rather than just allowing remote viewing.

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csomar
A lot. He doesn't need another assitant for the camera. Also he might be able
to communicate with another doctor while in operation and have better control
of the video.

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chrsstrm
Wearing Glass is no different that wearing a POV camera. Communication still
falls into the realm of everything that was possible pre-Glass.

Now if the patient swallowed some nanobots that found their way to source of
the problem and then Glass guided the doctor to that location via a Google
Navigation-like interface, that would be impressive.

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goblin89
That's impressive. Being a bit skeptical about Glass as a casually wearable
device, I just realized how many there are specialized use cases in which a
small video transmitter on one's forehead can be indispensable.

It could be a person learning to parachute jump, or defusing a bomb—cases
where one has to deal with uncertainty in critical situation.

(There are a lot of evil ways to use this, but that could be said about any
useful technology, I think.)

I only wish Glass was more of a general purpose platform and worry that there
seem to be no competition.

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rasur
EyeTap is a more general wearable solution and has been around for long time.
Google Steve Mann / EyeTap or Read Mann's "Intelligent Image Processing" for
more info.

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goblin89
Interesting, thanks! But yes, it's apparently much more general (you have to
implement everything apart from recording and displaying video, which EyeTap
seems to be only about) and more intrusive than Glass.

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rasur
I have seen a couple of pictures of Eyetap prototypes that look just like
regular bi-focal lenses. But you're right, one has to do more work to
implement the kind of stuff one would take for granted on Glass - I guess one
would have to think of EyeTap as a more personalised "home-brew" Glass.

