Google Glass, the much hyped augmented reality optical display masquerading as eyeglasses, fizzled on the launching pad in 2014. The innovative wearable tech device quickly faded from public awareness. 

But Google Glass is back in a new iteration: for use in medical research, helping children with autism identify emotions in facial expressions in real time. 

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is most often characterized by impaired social interaction and communication. Children with autism often have trouble reading the facial expressions of the people around them. Therapy often involves teaching these children – using flashcards, pictures or other methods – how to recognize emotion, since they don’t easily do so innately. 

The “autism glass” technology was developed as a behavioral aide and a teaching device for children with autism. The glasses use special facial recognition software developed at Stanford University that can detect emotions in a wide range of people and settings. When someone interacts with a child wearing the glasses, they recognize the emotions that person is displaying and will project a word or emoji – such as a smiley face – onto the display above the right eye. 

“The autism glass program is meant to teach children with autism how to understand what a face is telling them. And we believe that when that happens they will become more socially engaged,” said Dennis Wall, director of the Stanford School of Medicine’s Wall Lab, which is running the study.

Around 100 children are participating in the study at Stanford, where they use the glasses for a 20-minute session once a day while interacting with family members face-to-face. While they talk, play, or eat meals, the device tells the child what emotions the other person is displaying, and also tests their ability to read facial expressions. 

If the study yields positive results, the product would become commercially available within the next few years. 

“It has helped our son who’s using the Google Glasses connect with the family more,” said Kristen Brown, mother of one of the children in the study. “I think the glasses are a positive way to encourage a kid to look someone else in the face.”

Brain Power, Cambridge, Mass., developed the Google Glass-based application to help children with autism. If the technology proves useful, a commercial application could be available in the future.