Smart Glasses in Montjuic
Tauhid Nur Azhar
Exactly 10 years ago, the winter without snow froze the city of Barcelona. The cobblestone alleys of the Gothic Area were filled with people in thick jackets and fur coats. Meanwhile, small panaderias (bakeries) were frequented by those wanting a piece of pastry and a cup of coffee. Cafe con miel, layered with coffee, milk, and cream, was my choice, while many preferred Carajillo, a warm coffee with espresso mixed with liquor, which I couldn’t consume due to its alcohol content.
As I walked quickly away from the La Rambla area, I bit into a piece of Casadielles, made from wheat flour, olive oil, and sugar for the dough, and roasted candlenuts for the filling. Delicious and crispy, one bite of casadielles and one sip of con miel would blend perfectly with the 7°C temperature and the clear blue sky around you.
The candlenuts in the casadielles reminded me of Maluku and the long history of imperialism with the spirit of gold, gospel, and glory, which indeed began in this land. In the Iberian Peninsula and Catalonia, as well as Andalusia, the early history of civilizational interaction, which was initially unimaginable, is recorded.
Panaderia, from its name and one of its products, Empanada, to this day remains a part of the culinary culture in our homeland. Panada, as the people of North Sulawesi and Maluku call it, pastel, as the people of Java call it, and Jalangkote, as the people of Makassar call it, are forms derived from Empanada, which originated from Iberia. Along with Pestinos, it has become a part of the classic pastry of this country.
But where does the crunch of roasted candlenuts in my casadielles come from? Because candlenuts are only produced by the tropical ecosystem of eastern Indonesia to the Pacific, and parts of Africa. The main regions of origin are Maluku to Vanuatu. At least there are two species that commonly produce candlenuts, namely Canarium vulgare Leenh and C. indicum L. Besides, from outside Indonesia, there are other species, namely C. harveyi and C. solomonense. So, in this crispy and savory casadielles, there is also a national heritage of Indonesia.
This living heritage was highly sought after by European merchants in the Middle Ages, marked by the great desire to control not only its trade routes but also its production centers.
It is no surprise, then, that at the end of La Rambla in the port area of Barcelona, at Plaça Portal de la Pau, s/n, Ciutat Vella, 08001, stands a 60-meter-tall monument with a statue of Christopher Columbus atop it, pointing to a secret place in the northeast, although he actually arrived in the Americas. Specifically, in the Bahamas.
Columbus set sail from Spain on August 3, 1492, to find a water route to Asia. After navigating the Atlantic Ocean for more than two months, Columbus landed on San Salvador Island. Columbus described the native inhabitants of the island as friendly and innocent. He was also captivated by the natural beauty of the island.
Learning from Columbus’ navigational mistake, who was actually from Genoa, I did not want to repeat his directional error. I quickly turned left and walked briskly towards Placa d’Espanya, located at the foot of Montjuic Hill.
Today, I have an important appointment related to the trial of one of the cutting-edge technologies that will hybridize humans with technology itself, smart glasses from Google, named Google Lens.
It seems I arrived at Montjuic Hill earlier than I expected. The meeting at the museum’s fountain steps was still half an hour away. There was enough time for me to immerse myself in the golden sunset of Barcelona, which I enjoyed alone from the edge of this small hill.
As dusk approaches in the winter like this, Montjuic Hill in Barcelona transforms into a captivating landscape. The cold air feels soft on the skin, and the clear winter blue sky perfectly frames the beauty of this hill with its scattered gardens and monuments.
From the peak of Montjuic, the view of Barcelona is presented dramatically and romantically. To the east, the Mediterranean Sea sparkles under the soft winter sunlight. The Port of Barcelona, which has been the pulse of the city’s trade since Roman times, appears busy with ships coming and going. To the west, the Llobregat River flows calmly, connecting the fertile plains of Catalonia with the sea. In this geographical harmony, Barcelona finds its identity as a dynamic and historic port city.
The name Montjuic itself comes from the Catalan language, meaning “Jewish Hill,” referring to the presence of a Jewish cemetery on its slopes during the Middle Ages. Since Roman times, this hill has been a natural fortress and strategic point for monitoring activities in the port. In 1640, a castle was built on its peak during the Catalan War of Independence, which was later expanded in the 18th century. Montjuic Castle is now a tourist attraction and museum, preserving the long history of this city.
Montjuic has also witnessed important moments in Barcelona’s modern history. In 1929, the hill became the center of the Exposición Internacional de Barcelona, an international exhibition showcasing technological and cultural advancements. Many beautiful buildings were constructed for this event, including Poble Espanyol, a miniature village representing the architectural styles of all of Spain, and Palau Nacional, which now houses the Museum of Catalan Art.
From the front steps of Palau Nacional, I let my gaze wander and marvel at the tall towers of the cathedral. Yes, that is the Sagrada Familia, the ever-growing and never-finished masterpiece of the maestro himself, Antonio Gaudi. Gaudi is Barcelona, and vice versa.
This unfinished cathedral is Gaudi’s greatest work. In winter, its grand facade looks even more stunning, illuminated by the low winter sun that highlights its intricate details. The Sagrada Familia is a symbol of Barcelona, a blend of spirituality and modern art.
Gaudi, with his organic ideas that seem to continuously grow in his mind, also built a beautiful park filled with his characteristic absurd asymmetrical designs. This beautiful park, with its colorful ceramic mosaics, becomes the perfect place to escape the winter cold. You can walk on the cobblestone paths while enjoying the view of the city spread out below and Gaudi’s unusual designs. This park is known as Park Guell.
Although not clearly visible from Montjuic, I know there are other iconic buildings by this Catalan architectural genius. Casa Batlló and Casa Milà (La Pedrera), two iconic buildings on Passeig de Gràcia, are also major works by Gaudi, showcasing another side of his genius. In winter, their balconies and wavy roofs look like something out of a fairy tale, with their asymmetrical organic designs and unique figurative ornaments on their facades.
Finally, the friend who promised to bring something very valuable to try also arrived. While running, he apologized and said it was quite difficult to find an empty bus from Fira Gran Via, the location of the Mobile World Congress 2014, to Placa d’Espanya. We did agree to meet at Palau Nacional because afterward, I would register for the innovation event in the building located right below it. Not only that, I was actually staying in a small homestay in a building called Vilella, located at the foot of Montjuic Hill.
Eagerly, I wanted to try the magical device he brought. The device was none other than a prototype of Google Lens, which had been announced by Google a year earlier. Yes, it was a pair of smart glasses.
At that time (2014), I believed this device would be part of the hybrid technology revolution that would integrate the concept of human entities in the future. The world of technology or machines would increasingly blend with human daily life. One of the innovations slowly creeping into our lives is none other than these smart glasses. This device promises an immersive digital experience without the need for a phone or computer screen. With smart glasses, the world becomes a stage where data is displayed directly in front of the user’s eyes. But how does this device work? What are its potential and challenges? At that time, I did not have a sufficiently satisfactory answer, especially if, in reality, today this technology can work with AI and brain chips. The perfect combination of biological race and machine family will soon become an exciting reality, won’t it?
Smart glasses first became widely known in 2013 through Google Glass. Although it did not last long in the market due to privacy issues and high costs, this device introduced the concept that digital information could be accessed directly without diverting attention from the real world. Now, this technology has evolved, integrating artificial intelligence (AI), advanced sensors, and revolutionary optic lenses.
According to Milgram and Kishino in their research on augmented reality (AR), this technology works by enriching the real world with virtual elements in real-time. With special lenses, users can see information such as maps, weather, or even their own heart rate without holding a device.
“Smart glasses are one of the real manifestations of wearable computing,” said Steve Mann, a wearable technology expert from Canada. “This device is not just a tool but an extension of human ability to process information,” he continued with confidence.
The lens on smart glasses is the core of the AR experience. Unlike ordinary lenses, these lenses use waveguide optic techniques to project digital images directly into the user’s eyes. Waveguide technology works by utilizing a series of internal reflections on the lens to deliver images from a mini projector mounted on the glasses frame.
Some devices, such as Microsoft HoloLens, even use light field display techniques, creating a more natural three-dimensional object illusion. These lenses are made of special materials such as polymer-coated glass, designed to direct light to the retina without blurring the user’s view of the real world.
Additionally, integrated sensors and cameras help the device read the user’s environment. With computer vision technology, smart glasses can recognize faces, objects, or even text around the user, then display relevant information through the lens.
The strength of smart glasses lies in their integration with AI. This technology allows the device to recognize situations and user needs. For example, AI can analyze the user’s gaze direction to display information contextually.
AI provides magic to smart glasses. The ability to recognize the environment, analyze data, and respond in real-time makes this device a smart personal assistant, said Dr. Andrew Ng, an artificial intelligence expert.
Several AI functions that have been applied in smart glasses include object recognition processes that can help users identify locations, faces, or specific products.
Natural Language Processing (NLP) enables users to give voice commands, such as displaying directions to the nearest Padang restaurant.
Context-Aware Systems provide location and time-based information, such as train schedules sourced from Access by KAI or meeting reminders, presentation summaries, etc.
The use of smart glasses in the future can expand into various sectors. In the industrial world, this device can be used to increase work efficiency. Microsoft HoloLens, for example, is used by technicians to display step-by-step repair guides for machines without needing to open a manual book.
In the medical field, doctors can use smart glasses to view scan results or patient notes without searching for printouts or photos. Even minimally invasive cardiac surgery or MICS plus telesurgery, as recently practiced at the National Cardiovascular Center Harapan Kita with the main operator Dr. Duddy Arman Hanafy, SpBTKV (K), can be performed much more efficiently and precisely using smart glasses technology.
Some biomedical technology companies have also developed devices aimed at helping patients with visual impairments. The concept is that with the help of AI, smart glasses can provide audio descriptions of the user’s surroundings. In the future, smart glasses connected to neuron chips implanted in the visual association area (occipital lobe) will be able to send visual messages directly to be translated into biolistric configurations that will be analyzed and associated as sensoric imagery, as in the normal visual physiological process.
Smart glasses integrated with neuron chips with BCI (brain-computer interface) capabilities can also be an alternative in operating UAVs/unmanned aerial vehicles or drones, besides their autonomous control functions. And what excites me personally is that I want to create a mixed reality tourist attraction that can display all exotic tourism elements visually through smart glasses and various other sensory sensations such as cold temperatures, strong wind gusts, the sounds of wild animals, etc., through the integration of neuron chips connected to the sensory association area in our brains. That sounds amazing, right? 🫣
Montjuic Hill returned to its quiet state, with night falling and enveloping it, and the flickering lights from Barceloneta beach, filled with entertainment venues, could not dispel the cold that began to freeze my bones.
Quickly, I walked down the hill towards the old Vilella building. As I passed it, I did not turn and enter but continued walking about 100 meters and turned left once, then right, and entered a small shop in an old building with Mediterranean architecture and its Moorish arches. A small cup of thick Moroccan Kahwa was already available there. I took a sip while sitting alone in the corner, daydreaming, letting my thoughts wander and my heart flutter.
