Smartglasses or smart glasses are wearable computer glasses that add information alongside or to what the wearer sees. Alternatively, smart glasses are sometimes defined as wearable computer glasses that are able to change their optical properties at runtime. Smart sunglasses which are programmed to change tint by electronic means are an example of the latter type of smartglasses.
Superimposing information onto a field of view is achieved through an optical head-mounted display (OHMD) or embedded wireless glasses with transparent heads-up display (HUD) or augmented reality (AR) overlay. These systems have the capability to reflect projected digital images as well as allow the user to see through it or see better with it. While early models can perform basic tasks, such as serving as a front-end display for a remote system, as in the case of smartglasses utilizing cellular technology or Wi-Fi, modern smart glasses are effectively wearable computers that can run self-contained mobile apps. Some are handsfree and can communicate with the Internet via natural language voice commands, while others use touch buttons.
Like other computers, smartglasses may collect information from internal or external sensors. It may control or retrieve data from other instruments or computers. It may support wireless technologies like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS. A small number of models run a mobile operating system and function as portable media players to send audio and video files to the user via a Bluetooth or WiFi headset.[10][11] Some smartglasses models also feature full lifelogging and activity tracker capability.
Smartglasses devices may also have features found on a smartphone. Some have activity tracker functionality features (also known as fitness tracker) as seen in some GPS watches.