Google’s VR/AR headset set to enter the fray

Virtual/Augmented reality is commonly viewed as the next frontier in mobile technology. Hence, many companies are making efforts to engage with it sooner rather than later, so as to ensure that they beat the competition to the punch. And while many are just now entering the market like Apple, some are already veterans in VR/AR… in a way.

We are of course referring to Google. The company notoriously flopped nearly a decade ago with Google Glass, but this time around the tech giant is doing its best to get VR/AR right. Some time ago, the first bits of information concerning Google’s “Project Iris”, the codename for the company’s upcoming VR/AR headset, made headlines when the Verge published a dedicated article on the matter.

In its original report, the Verge disclosed a number of interesting details about Project Iris, which was then in its early stages of development. It seems that Google’s VR/AR headset has come a long way since, given that field testing is already underway.

The Verge now reports that Google will be testing a small number of prototype units to better understand how the headset fares under everyday circumstances. Google even published a blog post on the matter. The main features that will be tested are “translation, transcription and navigation”.

The tests will be conducted according to a set of strict privacy guidelines. The prototype units will resemble ordinary glasses and the testers will have to undergo special training and comply with a number of privacy measures.

These steps show a decisive move on Google’s part to learn from its mistakes with Google Glass. Whether it will be enough to make Project Iris a success remains to be seen. For reference, most pundits expect Google to release its VR/AR headset sometime around 2024. Hence, there is still a long way to go. We will have to wait and see.