Google is reportedly making another attempt at an AR headset, and the device may launch in 2024. After the demise of the consumer version of Google Glass, the smart glasses segment has seen renewed interest even though many of the announced products are just glasses with built-in voice assistants and speakers. At the other end of the spectrum, some companies have been working on more advanced and heavier headset solutions for accessing augmented and virtual reality experiences.
Google has made a few attempts at AR and VR products in the past, all of which have ended up in the infamous Google Graveyard. These include Google Glass, Google Cardboard, and Daydream VR. There was also the Lenovo Mirage Solo, a standalone VR headset jointly created by Lenovo and Google. In spite of these failed attempts, the recent increase in attention on the AR sector would suggest that Google is unlikely to have given up on the idea entirely.
Google’s latest attempt at AR is currently going by the “Project Iris” codename, according to details provided by anonymous sources to The Verge. The report describe early prototypes of the headset as having a design similar to ski goggles. While that description might remind one of the HTC Vive Flow, these prototypes are said to have a built-in battery, unlike HTC’s VR headset which needs to be connected to a battery pack. Google’s headset will also have world-facing cameras similar to those on the Microsoft Hololens, and will provide a video feed of the wearer’s environment blended with computer graphics for a more immersive mixed reality experience.
A Custom Chip And A Custom OS
The AR headset, like the Pixel 6 series, is understood to have a custom Google chipset powering it. It also runs Android, although there is a possibility the software is only based on Android. Last month, it was reported that Google was hiring a team to build an ‘augmented reality OS’ for an “innovative AR device.” Google also plans to reduce some of the power requirements by having its data centers handle graphics renderings and have them relayed to the headset over an internet connection. This doesn’t sound different to what the company is doing with its Stadia game-streaming service.
Project Iris is being developed in secret by a team of about 300 people, according to the report, with members of the Pixel team said to be involved in the hardware. The project is headed by Clay Bavor, who also heads Project Starline, a mind-blowing video-calling technology that was demoed last year. It has also been suggested that Google intends to hire a lot more staff, running into hundreds, to work on the project. Judging from the size of the team, it doesn’t seem like this is an experimental project, making Google‘s plans to release Project Iris all the more likely.
