Augmented reality (AR) is truly shaking up the landscape of technology, making emotional connections between people and brands through sight, sound, and motion. They offer experiences to customers that move away from what just people see to immersing them in a brand new experience that somehow blurs the lines of reality.
MailOnline reported that Google is now publicly testing a new product to select trusted testers and employees who will use the new augmented reality devices to see how it impacts people's everyday lives. It comes 10 years later since releasing their flopped Google Glasses. The new AR glasses could help in different tasks, such as navigation and translation.
Google Begins Testing New Augmented Reality Glasses A Decade After Its First Product
What Does Google Glasses' Successor Offers?
In a blog post, Google wrote that the prototypes of their AR glasses would include in-lens displays, microphones, and cameras, although there are some limitations to their capabilities. For instance, their AR glasses will not be able to take photos and record videos. On the other hand, it is incorporated with Maps and Translate features to help users navigate and translate foreign languages.
Google product manager Juston Payne wrote in the blog post that they want to get their new product right, so they are taking it slow and focusing more on ensuring that the privacy of testers and around them are secured. The prototypes will look like normal glasses with in-lens audio and visual sensors, Google wrote on their support page.
During a developer's conference, the company first introduced its new AR glasses last May. But they are not the only ones taking advantage of the augmented reality technology since Apple, Meta, and Microsoft also plan to create their own version of augmented reality glasses.
Apple is set to announce a mixed reality headset sometime in 2022, although it comes years after its competitors have released their own versions. It is said to be a wearable device where users can see virtual items overlaid in the real world. Mixed reality means that it combines both physical and virtual environments for real and digital elements to coexist.
Meta also announced last May its Project Cambria, the code name for their high-end VR headset, which also uses mixed reality and is coming out later this year.
The Rise of Augmented Reality
Augmented reality is one of the biggest trends in technology today and is even getting bigger as it has become more accessible on smartphones. According to The Franklin Institute, AR helps users see digital augmentation in a real-life environment. For instance, people could see a pterodactyl or aliens running about their homes with just a few clicks on their phones.
Advances in AR technology allow it to become readily available to mobile phones and can be used in myriad ways, such as the Snapchat lenses that help people find their cars in parking lots and lets users try on clothes during online shopping.
The most famous AR technology application is the mobile game called Pokemon Go, which was released in 2016 and quickly became popular around the world. Players could act as real Pokemon hunters and capture characters that pop up in the real world - in the fountain, park, or even in one's home.
Aside from that, AR has been in use that helps people in their everyday lives. Some examples include the enhanced navigation systems that superimpose a route over the live view of the world, furniture stores using AI to let their customer see how a piece of furniture would look and fit in their place, military fighter pilots seeing an AR projection of their altitude and other data on their helmet visor, neurosurgeons using 3D projection of the brain, and many others.
Here's Google's promotional video of their new AR glasses:
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Check out more news and information on Augmented Reality in Science Times.