NEW! Google recently launched a pair of futuristic glasses

Google has unveiled a pair of futuristic glasses –

reminiscent of a Star Trek prop – as part of a bid to introduce wearable computing into the mainstream technology industry

The slim line device fits around the forehead, with a small screen in the top right corner to transmit information to the wearer.

In a short video released on Wednesday on youtube, the wearer is seen taking pictures, checking the weather, getting directions, and placing a video call, all of which are controlled using voice activated icons that appear in the user’s field of vision.

Android software is believed to power the gadget, enabling similar features to its smartphone and tablets.

A 3G or 4G data connection, motion sensors and GPS navigation are believed to be included in the device’s capabilities.

The augmented-reality glasses are the culmination of a two-year initiative called Project Glass, developed in the clandestine Google X laboratory, near the company’s main campus in Mountain View, California.

Google X employees Babakl Parviz, Steve Lee and Sebastian Thurun said they had released the design before sale to get input from members of the public.

In a post on Google Plus, the trio said: “We’re sharing this information now because we want to start a conversation and learn from your valuable input. Please follow along as we share some of our ideas and stories. We’d love to hear yours, too. What would you like to see from Project Glass?”

One person who had used the glasses said: “They let technology get out of your way. If I want to take a picture I don’t have to reach into my pocket and take out my phone; I just press a button at the top of the glasses and that’s it.”

The release of the prototype has also raised the possibility of a virtual reality contact lens being developed in the future.

Mr Parviz, who is involved in Project Glass, specialises in bionanotechnology – the fusion of biology and micro technology – and has already developed a contact lens with embedded electronics to transmit pixels to a person’s eye.

Several other projects are under way in the Google X laboratory, said to include robots and space elevators.

The glasses will not go on sale until later this year, but Google employees will be testing them in public over the next few months.

The New York Times suggested they could cost between $250-$500 (₨ 12800- Rs25000)