After discontinuing the Daydream VR headset a few years ago, Google began ramping up work on an augmented reality headset. with his project irisThe company, set to be launched in 2024, intends to catch up with rivals Apple and Meta.
according to the edgeThe company wants to enter the augmented reality race with a new helmet planned for 2024. For some time, there have been rumors announcing the launch of an Apple helmet. For its part, Meta, by changing its name, has made no secret of its desire to develop augmented and virtual reality equipment for its metaverse. Google needs to roll up its sleeves to stay in the game. Google CEO Sundar Pichai hinted last October that augmented reality was “The main investment areaFor the sake of the company.
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According to several internal sources and the emergence of job offers on the topic, the future headset will use a dedicated Google processor that will outsource some of its internal processing power to remote servers. Outward-facing trail cameras will allow computer graphics to be combined with a real video feed for a more immersive experience. A home operating system will probably complete everything.
Project Iris marks a return to the category of devices with which Google has had a checkered track record. The company had its first foray into 2012 with Google Glass, these glasses that display information on glasses. The product was never liked by the general public. It also launched VR headsets Cardboard VR which was discontinued in 2021, as well as mobile virtual reality platform Daydream, which was discontinued after 3 years.
Driven by competition investing heavily in this field, Google and Iris are proposing a more ambitious project than its previous attempts. The core team already consists of 300 people. Google plans to hire hundreds more. The project is being overseen by Clay Bavour, who actually runs Starline, a video chat room that allows you to recreate your interlocutor in 3D. Evidence of the company’s growing interest in this technology, other senior executives involved in the project such as Scott Hoffman, creator of Google Assistant, Shahram Izadi, president of ARCore, and Mark Lukowski, formerly responsible for developing the internal operating system for Meta. The Pixel division is also said to be involved in some hardware business.
Development appears to be off to a good start for this futuristic helmet. However, in the face of the 10 billion Meta invests annually in this area and the progress of Apple, which plans to release its headphones in 2023, Google still has to do some catching up. The company remains quite conservative about its project. We will have to wait several more months to learn more about the progress.
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