Exploring Sort-of Smart Glasses for Higher Education | AI Insights with Andy

When it comes to wearables, the big consumer products often feel like they’re glued to your face—great for tech enthusiasts, but not always practical for campus environments. In higher education, we need solutions that are flexible, privacy-conscious, and easy to manage. That’s where my latest exploration comes in: sort-of smart glasses.

VR, AR, XR… just give me something easy

Our mission includes wellness initiatives like virtual reality meditation. But here’s the catch: participants don’t want to strap a bulky VR headset to their face to relax. Some even feel claustrophobic, which defeats the purpose entirely. Accessibility becomes a barrier, too. So, what is the alternative? Glasses-style wearables that let you stay connected to the real world while adding a subtle digital layer.

The Middle Ground

We’re looking at devices that are neither fully “smart” nor completely “dumb.” Think plug-and-play glasses with minimal software that is free from AI and complex provisioning. No consumer or admin account setup. No organizational admin that has to approve the device while standing up yet another server, or worse a cloud-based GUI with limited access.  Just tether them to an approved device like a tablet or GPU-powered computer. This approach sidesteps the biggest hurdle in VR: software complexity and account replication. In short, it’s about making the experience easy to share and scale.

VITURE glasses became our choice due to the availability and cost. The USB-C connector enables plug-in-play to a device with DisplayPort Alt Mode. I use my iPhone or Alienware laptop to connect. Not as immersive as a headset, but much lighter and less intrusive. The mobile dock enables you to use HDMI and connect to two pairs of glasses. The Sort-of Smart glasses are helpful because of the lightweight design and users can have their peripheral vision.

But wait, there is proprietary!

One gripe: proprietary charging cables. Some vendors offer USB-C, but it’s far from standard. VITURE uses a flimsy magnet connector to the glasses and then USB-C on the input. It feels like they dodged the EU’s universal charging mandate. And then there’s the trend of apps bloating into AI content creation tools, drifting away from their original purpose of simple device pairing. Innovation is great, but sometimes less is more.

What’s Next?

I’d love to see hardware that starts as a “plain vanilla” wearable but can scale up when needed. Not every user wants every bell and whistle baked in. For now, we’re testing these solutions and will report back in a few months. Whether this becomes a worthwhile investment or just a learning experience, it’s a step toward bridging AV and AI in higher ed.

Key Takeaway: Higher education needs wearables that prioritize simplicity, accessibility, and adaptability. Reduce the shiny factor. The smart solution is the one that stays out of the way. 

Future Vision: The Unbound Mobile Workspace & Arcade

The Sort-of Smart glasses point toward a future where mobile computing transcends physical screens, enabling distinct, powerful use cases. We envision a “Severance-like” productivity setup where your iPhone powers multiple floating virtual monitors, controlled by a minimalist, all-in-one Bluetooth keyboard and trackball combo for a completely uncluttered, portable office.

 Simultaneously, mobile gaming evolves through specialized USB-C handheld controllers with integrated video passthrough, allowing you to connect the XR glasses and a power source directly to the controller for lag-free, immersive gaming on a massive virtual display.

Prototype 1: “Severance-like” Mobile Productivity Setup

The diagram illustrates the minimalist, multi-screen mobile workstation.

Prototype 2: USB-C Passthrough Gaming Controller

 The future of mobile gaming with simultaneous video and power passthrough.