While Google’s Project Glass has grabbed most of the headlines this year regarding the future of augmented reality spectacles, a number of companies are developing similar devices. For example, Vuzix is planning to demo its M100 Smart Glasses prototype at CES in January and offer the device commercially by the middle of 2013 for less than $500. Winner of a CES Best of Innovation award, the glasses will be on display at the Vuzix booth (LVCC, Central Hall – 14046).

“Vuzix describes the M100 as an ‘intelligent hands-free display for smartphones,’ but it’s a little more complex than that name suggests, as the M100 has its own 1GHz processor and Android 4.0 operating system, so it will run its own apps,” reports Digital Trends.

“Corresponding versions of these apps are loaded onto your smartphone, which connects to the glasses using Bluetooth,” explains the post. “We call the M100 ‘glasses,’ but it’s really a single stem with the lens mounted onto a Bluetooth headset style earpiece.”

The M100 projects a 16:9, 240×400 color image in front of the user’s eye, “which can contain everything from basic Web content, email, video, GPS information and anything related to apps the two devices share.” The device’s camera records 720p video and stills, and includes 4GB of flash memory. It also features an accelerometer, compass and Wi-Fi.

Vuzix is encouraging developers to build apps for the smart glasses and says an SDK will be available in December.