SAN FRANCISCO – Google has developed a prototype wearable device that borrows heavily from the Star Trek communicator James T. Kirk touched in the popular TV series to communicate with his bridge.
While it doesn’t connect to any starships, it is meant to suggest new ways to tap into the vast knowledge banks of Google search.
The device, about the diameter of a casino chip, but somewhat thicker, was demonstrated to Time by Google senior vice president Amit Singhal, who wore it chest-high on his sweater. It’s designed to be activated with a tap, and an embedded microphone would pick up your spoken query to relay via Bluetooth to a nearby smartphone and from there on to Google. The answer could come back through speakers or headphones.
“I always wanted that pin,” Singhal told Time, referring to the more advanced Star Trek communicator. “You just ask it anything and it works. That’s why we were like, ‘Let’s go prototype that and see how it feels.'”
Google did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.
The Mountain View, California-based tech titan has a penchant for fanciful, often futuristic tech, from Wi-Fi balloons to self-driving cars. In the wearables realm, it has experimented with Google Glass headsets, which also listened when wearers spoke and made use of wireless technology to provide access to Google search results.
As for wearable tech you can actually buy today, Google’s Android Wear software powers a range of smartwatches from companies including LG, Motorola and Tag Heuer.
