If you’ve ever wanted a hands free camera like one of the many smart glasses now coming out without the glasses then you’re in luck. The Lambda hat features all of the recording capabilities of options like the Pivothead smart, without taking up space on your nose. Instead, this hat is quite literally a baseball cap with a small camera built into the brim. So what is it and how does it work?
The Lambda Hat
The Lambda hat is a baseball cap with the Lambda logo on the front, intended to be used as a cheap Google Glass alternative for those not in need of glasses. The hat costs $255 and is designed to be used as an ‘always-on’ camera for recording data, meetings, and places. The developer suggests that it’s great for use in improving memory, capturing key moments, and even recording important data such as a meeting or important lunch. The hat also allows users to add a geolocation to photos and videos, so that they can search them by place, date, and time. Essentially, it’s great for anyone who routinely forgets things, such as who they had lunch with last week, because it allows you to easily go back through and see wherever you’ve been.
Facial Recognition System
Lambda actually released an unofficial facial recognition app for Google Glass but, because Google does not allow facial recognition software on Glass, it has to be side loaded. However, the app also works on the Lambda hat where it can be used to create a virtual map of every face and image seen by the wearer by location. The result could be a very creepy stalker tool or a very cool way to document a family vacation, depending on who uses it. While facial recognition is technically frowned upon as it presents major privacy issues for the general public, it’s still something to get excited about in terms of just family and friends.
Who Would Want This?
Unfortunately, most of the working world is not able to wear a baseball cap around, especially not since it has a lambda symbol on the front (which is now a well known symbol used by homosexuals). In addition, the camera displayed looks slightly patched together, as though a camera were simply inserted roughly into the brim of a cap. Added to the fact that the LambdaHat.com website is nothing more than a single demo video, even though the hat was supposed to go up for pre-sale on the 23rd. Lambda hasn’t really unveiled a great deal of data about their hat (such as camera specs or CPU other than the fact that it’s Android based, so that’s also risky) Finally, for $255, the hat is a little expensive if it doesn’t offer too much more than camera features. However, production isn’t supposed to start until January, so Lambda may be a little more forthcoming in the meantime.
What do you think? Would you buy a smart hat with a camera in it? Or is it just too much money for something that you can’t wear everywhere?
