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Intel-powered hard hat could help contractors of the future

There's even thermal vision to let you know when things are a little too hot.

A few days ago, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich introduced DAQRI founder Brian Mullins to demonstrate a brand new Intel-powered augmented reality hard hat which looks very much like a Robocop helmet. The helmet has AR vision, so you can easily see how to repair something that's broken thanks to an instructional overlay. At the Intel booth here at CES, I tried on the headgear for myself and was pleased to find that it fit without much fuss and that the thermal imaging worked like a charm.

I could see that the cold water tank, for example, had a fault in it, so I knew exactly what to fix. The idea here is that the helmet could be used in construction zones or with tasks like electrical repair without needing someone else to be there to teach them what to do. It's also a potentially easier and safer way to be a repairman, since you can spot water tank faults and gas leaks without opening things up. This way you can do preventative maintenance instead of waiting for something to blow up first. To find out more of what it does, check out our video above.

Andrew Tarantola contributed to this report