Intel Stops Working on Smart Glasses

Intel's foray into wearables is coming to a close; it will shut down its new devices group, which produced the Vaunt smart glasses it showed off in February, among other things, The Information reports.

One of the main hurdles to developing a pair of smart glasses is making them look "normal." Intel appeared to have overcome that hurdle with its Vaunt smart glasses, which The Verge first reported on. In a statement to the publication, though, Intel says it's going in a different direction.

"Intel is continuously working on new technologies and experiences. Not all of these develop into a product we choose to take to market," it said.

When Vaunt was revealed earlier this year, Intel was searching for partners with retail and consumer product experience. It seems likely that search was unsuccessful and therefore no clear path forwards existed for Vaunt and Intel's smart glasses ambitions.

Intel's solution for offering a head-up display while wearing glasses was retinal projection. There are no cameras, no reason to touch the glasses to action commands; it's simply a very low-power laser providing you with snippets of information as part of your vision, hopefully without too much distraction. Intel wanted to offer Vaunt as a platform developers could build on top of and see what worked with a simple, yet useful way of conveying information.

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According to The Information, the new devices group has about 200 employees, and its shutdown could result in layoffs. It was established in 2013 soon after Brian Krzanich succeeded Paul Otellini as CEO.

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