By
Godfrey Benjamin
April 23rd, 2024
During the testing phase, testers will not be allowed to use the glasses in some locations like schools, government buildings, places of worship, etc.
In a couple of months, tech giant Google LLC (NASDAQ: GOOG) will start testing its augmented reality (AR) glasses. These next-generation prototypes will be equipped with microphones, cameras, and transparent in-lens displays. The real-world testing in public will involve a few dozen employees and a small group of other testers.
According to Google’s blog post, the company is going to make the process steady in order to make it right. Juston Payne, Product Manager at Google, said:
“It’s early, and we want to get this right, so we’re taking it slow, with a strong focus on ensuring the privacy of the testers and those around them.”
Equipped with cameras, in-lens displays, and microphones, the glasses will not support video or photographs. However, they may collect and use image data to perform functions like identifying objects or showing directions. In addition, Google wants to check if augmented reality glasses will be able to conduct speech transcription and translation. Other use cases to be tested include visual sensing scenarios like translating text or helping with navigation. According to the company, these features are expected to work with heads-up overlays similar to the way Google Maps uses heads-up AR directions on phones.
During the testing phase, testers will not be allowed to use the glasses “in schools, government buildings, health care locations, places of worship, social service locations, areas meant for children (e.g., schools and playgrounds), emergency response locations, rallies or protests, and other similar places,” or while driving or playing sports.
Google’s AR Plans
Getting ready for the AR products release, Google is competing with Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ: FB), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), and Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL). Rumors about Google developing the AR headset first appeared in January this year. As we reported, the tech giant was planning to begin shipping the AR headset starting as early as 2024. The company was keeping the details secret, however, it was known that the upcoming headset would share similar features to the coming headsets from Apple and Meta. The Google AR headset was expected to employ outward-facing cameras to integrate computer graphics with real-world video feeds.
In May, Google was holding its I/O developer conference, where it announced it was developing augmented reality glasses that would break language barriers and bring translation to a totally new level. In the demo video shared by the company, the AR glass users saw translations of spoken language into readable display text.
Further plans of the company regarding AR are centered around getting deeper into this technology. Google is already evolving its Maps feature to become more AR-infused over time. For example, it added an Immersive View to certain locations that creates ever-more-detailed scans of indoor and outdoor spaces. Besides, it partnered with early app partners, including the NBA, Snap, and Lyft, to use the phone-based AR tech.