Smart safety glasses: why they are more than just PPE

The first safety glasses were introduced in 1880, but for many years their development focused mainly on materials and protection. With the introduction of smart safety glasses, that is about to change. These glasses not only protect the wearer but also provide support during work. In this article, I explain how they work.

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Smart safety glasses that watch and listen

The team behind Bower has spent the past few years developing smart safety glasses. The Australian company consists of scientists, operators and technologists from organisations including Google and Microsoft. Their mission is to advance science through AI. And where is a great deal of scientific research carried out? In laboratories.

At the moment, much of the knowledge held by laboratory employees still exists only in their heads. When that knowledge is shared, it is often done through notebooks or collaborative documents. Smart safety glasses aim to change that.

Smart safety glasses in practice

The glasses observe experiments, record what the researcher says, which actions they perform and which changes they make. The system also understands the context, allowing it to connect different experiments. In this way, the glasses store all the information and make it easy to share later.

This prevents knowledge from being lost when someone leaves the organisation. It is also an effective way to train new employees and share knowledge within the team. In addition, the glasses take over a great deal of administrative work. Researchers no longer need to make notes or write reports.

The glasses can also detect differences in working methods. When two researchers perform the same experiment but obtain different results, the system can indicate why the outcomes differ.

Another advantage is that researchers already wear safety glasses during their work. They do not need to wear an additional device to capture all this knowledge.

From protection to support

This is not the first time that personal protective equipment (PPE) and modern technology have come together. In recent years, more and more experiments have been carried out in which AI detection systems monitor whether workers are wearing PPE.

There are already helmets that can detect gas leaks and monitor how people walk so that routes can be improved. And for workers who need a properly fitting respirator, some companies now use 3D technology to create custom-fitted models.

Will technological PPE such as smart safety glasses become the standard?

Smart safety glasses may remind many people of science fiction films in which the glasses help save the world. But it certainly would not be the first time that science fiction has anticipated technological developments in the real world.

With the rise of AI, many work processes will change, and PPE is no exception. These are items that workers already wear anyway. Before this technology becomes commonplace, however, developers still need to address several issues. For example, how will they protect people’s privacy and handle data storage? They will also need to test the glasses extensively before introducing them on a large scale.

In the meantime, I will continue following these developments and keep you informed.

Best,

Aileen