A new report suggests that Google is working internally on building out a more stable and streamlined AR/VR project. Codenamed Project Iris, this budding hardware will attempt to go toe to toe with the likes of major tech competitors in the same ballpark, including Apple and Meta.
According to two sources who spoke with The Verge, Google aims for a potential 2024 debut for the AR-based Project Iris, the prototype of which thus far resembles workman goggles without any wired connections. These AR goggles will utilize outward-facing cameras in addition to a custom Google processor to bridge digital frameworks into reality.
Google's processor, which was most recently seen via the Pixel smartphone, will run on Android with a totally unique operating system (OS) that will leverage internet connectivity to bolster its onboard graphics rendering requirements.
The tech giant maintains its secrecy with this forthcoming device, sequestering it to an unmarked building requiring a specific key fob and signed NDAs. Several key individuals from Google's Pixel team will be utilized to brandish the hardware specs, yet the overall number of employees on Project Iris is no more than 300 currently.
While its next steps remain in relative infancy, Google's past in the AR scene is rather ill-defined. The company released Google Glass in 2012 to some haughty excitement that later evolved into a meme that led to the inevitable failure of the AR device. Despite its downfall, Google does still maintain the Glass branding, but the hardware is mostly utilized in enterprise endeavors.
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For the most part, this is the industry where AR thrives aside from mainstream mobile gaming titles like Pokemon Go. Companies like Vuzix, a powerhouse in enterprise AR applications, rely on versatile technology and data-driven support to broaden the scope of their endeavors. While Glass may have fallen by the wayside, big-name tech giants like Facebook's Meta have slowly inched into the ring.
In early January, Meta took center stage with its announcement of abandoning an AR/VR-based OS, but the company no sooner walked back those statements, clarifying that it will continue "working on a highly specialized OS for our devices," said Gabriel Aul, Meta's VP of Reality Labs Engineering.
Then, there's Apple. Taking a note out of Google's playbook, the aptly coined Apple Glass vies to be a revolutionary piece of AR hardware, with some rumors suggesting it will adapt to users' eyewear prescriptions. Apple is putting a ton of RnD behind its product, using LiDAR sensors for increased tracking capabilities and seemingly fully modular support for a more fashion-forward approach.
Google isn't concerned, though, or at least it isn't sweating the competition thus far. CEO Sundar Pichai discussed Google's reevaluated focus on both VR and AR capabilities amid Alphabet's Q3 2021 earnings call, stating:
"For a while, we have deeply focused on thinking through computing for the long term. We've talked about ambient computing, and it's just a matter of time before, you know, beyond phones, you'll see other successful form factors. And AR is an exciting part of that future."
With conversations surrounding the metaverse heating up to a boiling point leading into 2022, AR and VR capabilities will be at the forefront of technological innovation as enterprises slowly conform to this ever-evolving digital landscape. There's no word as of yet if Google's Project Iris will be made available to everyday consumers, but it will all depend on how far the tech itself can be pushed.
