According to TIME, Google regularly cites “Star Trek” and the film “Her” as its goal for building wearables that are activated purely by voice. A tap on the pin would activate a microphone and bluetooth connection to your phone, allowing you to “okay Google” a query you had instantly.
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It should come as no surprise that Google engineers are also big fans of Star Trek, and there is likely no bigger fan on campus than Google Chief Software Engineer Amit Singhal.
The concept was meant to test out how users might interact with voice search in new ways.
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If you’re desperate for a Google-made Communicator pin, there’s no indication the project will be resurrected; but if there’s enough interest now the word is out one exists, perhaps it’ll change its mind. The prototype (pictured above) might output sound through an onboard speaker or by connecting to headphones. It was meant to make Google searches more convenient for people, without forcing them to fumble for their phones. “You just ask it anything and it works”. Let us know in the comments. And given his penchant for all things Star Trek, he and his team even went so far as to develop a Bluetooth lapel pin that operated in the same vein as the Communicator used in TNG. But Google is especially prone to mimicking the historic TV series, citing its influence on the creation of Google Earth and an obsession with recreating the super-smart computer used aboard the USS Enterprise. Google loves comparing its “Knowledge Graph” answer service to an early version of the Star Trek Computer.
