Google Just Patented a Weird Camera Hat

Well this is… interesting. It doesn’t seem like the very public failure of Google Glass—due, in large part, to the built-in camera—has deterred Google from pursuing wearable camera tech. A recent patent shows that they’re at least considering putting a camera and microphone onto a baseball cap.

The headline-making Google patent was granted last week, and describes a baseball cap with a camera system embedded in the center of the bill. This particular invention, however, is being billed (see what I did there…) as more technically than creatively useful.

“In one aspect, a hat and a camera system for the hat can be used for an interactive session with a remote user,” writes Google by way of summary. “In another aspect, the hat and camera system for the hat can be used to interact with an emergency situation routing system.”

You can dive into the technical details here if you’re curious, but it sounds like a wireless-capable device primarily used to capture (and possibly stream) first person view video, attaching information like GPS location in case you need to use it to hail emergency services. It will also include a bone-conducting speaker and built-in microphone, making it possible to use the camera hat in conjunction with your phone.

And you thought Google Glass was a bit much…

(via Mashable)