Google Glass and the Future of Head-Mounted Displays

Google Glass is arguably the most exciting innovation in mobile technology since the iPhone — and not just because Google hyped it with a spectacular skydiving stunt. Certainly, the field of wearable technology has been around for decades (remember calculator watches?), but with the backing of a multibillion-dollar company and state-of-the-art wireless tech, Google looks to really take it to the next level.

There's a reason, however, that the device, which Google officially unveiled about a year ago, probably won't reach consumer hands until 2014: Creating a head-mounted display that's reliable, useful and not-ridiculous-looking is hard. Just ask Vuzix, which has been in the space since 1997.