Google Glass Could Transform How We Perceive Art

Ever found yourself in a beautiful gallery or museum, wanting to know more about the art exposed there? Who made it, when, why? We all know it’s not always that easy as to just read an information card, because it’s never close enough or big enough to be read. The good news is that British scientists have found a solution; thanks to pioneering research studies they conducted on Google Glass.

While studying how Google Glass could be used to offer information on the artworks seen by the user, a MMU team (Manchester Metropolitan University) is developing a program for museums and galleries that would make Google Glass your regular tour guide, while visiting one of these places.

A big group of people, of all ages, visited the Manchester Art Gallery to try out Google’s new technology. The two paintings that were targeted were Stag – Two Indians, and George Stubbs – Cheetah.

After taking a picture of the painting, Glass would display a card with the artwork information one could usually see on the information card. Also, the user can select to hear more information on the author and his work as in an audiobook.

One of the university’s spokeswoman declared that they were very pleased with the outcome of the study. They received positive feedback from a big number of people of all genders, ages and diverse occupations. All of them responded to a call out posted on Twitter.

Cecilia Abadie, a Google Glass software designer at 33 Lab Inc in California, initiated the project after a visit at the MMU University and is now working with the team to bring the whole project to life.

Six more paintings are going to be included in the software by the end of this month and for the near future, Cecilia and the MMU team hope to make Glass display more additional information such as other similar works, and their location in the museum.

Also, Glass could provide a communication system so that visitors could share information while visiting different rooms. So, if you’re visiting the museum with your friends you won’t have to worry about missing anything.

Google Glass is being supported and well received by everyone. Doctor Timothy Jung from the tourism management department at the University believes that this device could completely change the way museums and galleries are seen by the public. He says that that using Glass would allow the public to enjoy the art without the distraction of regular info providing devices.

In the near future the program will be extended from paintings to sculptures, and three-dimensional artworks.