Remember Google Glass?
The controversial wearable tech product ultimately failed, but it looks like Google is ready to give a version of it another try.
At Google I/O 2022 on May 11, Google gave viewers a peak at its new AR glasses. And based on the short video showcasing what the company has been working on, it seems like Google has a very specific use for this product in mind: breaking down language barriers.
Translation appear in front of the user’s eyes.
Credit: Mashable screenshot
The AR glass users in Google’s demo video were able to see translations appear right before their very eyes while wearing the device and conversing with another individual. It seemed like those wearing the device had subtitles following them around, just like a mobile 24/7 real-time transcription service. This was the only glimpse Google provided of its AR glasses.
A simulated first-person view from the AR glass wearer.
Credit: Mashable screenshot
Google CEO Sundar Pichai stressed in his speech the importance of living in the real world with an emphasis on technology that assists in improving those real-world experiences. It seems like Google learned from its Google Glass experiment from nearly a decade ago. Critics of Google Glass often raised privacy and safety concerns regarding the device. Further discussion about these AR glasses in a blog post by Pichai again centers the augmented reality features and how this can improve everyday lives.
“These AR capabilities are already useful on phones and the magic will really come alive when you can use them in the real world without the technology getting in the way,” Pichai wrote. “That potential is what gets us most excited about AR: the ability to spend time focusing on what matters in the real world, in our real lives.”
It’s unclear what other features are planned for these AR glasses. But the AR translations feature is the perfect use case to focus on if your selling point is that this device is actually about interacting away from a computer screen and living in the moment.
Whether the rest of Google’s plans for its AR glasses can live up to that will be the ultimate deciding factor as to whether this product will get you kicked out of bars like Google Glass did.