▲ Google AR glasses

The glasses are internally code-named Iris, according to three people familiar with the matter. Earlier this year, Google experienced layoffs, and reorganization, and Google AR/VR chief Clay Bavor (Clay Bavor) announced his departure, and the glasses have since been shelved. A Google spokesman declined to comment.

The Verge first reported the existence of Project Iris in January 2022, describing the device as similar to a pair of ski goggles. However, Google employees say that the “ski goggles” are actually a separate AR-based item for Samsung’s partner products, while Iris is a series of devices that are more akin to glasses.

According to the latest reports, Google plans to develop and launch Iris as its own product, and to consolidate talent through acquisitions. In 2020, the company announced the acquisition of North, a Canadian startup that makes AR glasses. An early version of Iris closely resembled North’s first device, the Focals, while a later version of Google’s demo featured translation.

▲ North Focals glasses

The report also said that since shelving the Iris glasses, Google has been focusing on building an AR software platform that it hopes to license to other headset makers. Google employees are developing the software using a prototype platform internally known as “Betty.” One employee described the Glasses platform as “Android for AR.”

Insiders said Google leadership’s constant shifting of Iris’ strategy led to a constant reorientation of the team, frustrating many employees.

Two employees said that Google may one day bring back the Iris glasses and that some teams are still experimenting with AR technology. Other teams were moved to software platforms and Samsung partnerships, they said.

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So these tech companies are waiting for the right time to put more effort into polishing their prototypes and making sure investors know that they won’t miss the chance to become the next “iPhone” after missing out on the iPhone.

But now, Google’s development has made substantial progress. Whether you’re worried about the big tech company’s “eye of insight” reappearing on people’s heads or looking forward to a camera computing device with automatic sensing, all you know is that smart glasses are coming back into our daily lives.

Last Tuesday, Google revealed that it has begun public testing of camera-equipped augmented reality (AR) glasses, and provided several statements in an official blog post to ensure that there will be no more “Glasshole” situations.

Google said it has invited “dozens” of testers to test, and that the camera and microphone in the smart glasses do not support taking photos and recording video. The camera is only used to collect visual data, and in the future scenario Google envisions, the camera can “translate the menu in front of you,” but does not record the people passing by you.

The company’s support page also mentions questions such as “What will the image data collected be used for?” , “How long is the data stored for?” and so on. Google says it will light up LEDs when images are stored for analysis, and promises to delete them within 30 days.

At this stage, Google said testers are not allowed to use in schools, hospitals, churches, playgrounds and such public places, but there is no explicit restriction on the use of restaurants, bars and other places. And in the early days of Glass on the line, which is opposed to a few places strongly.

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Juston Payne, Google’s product manager, said in a blog post, “It’s still too early, we want to get the product right, so we’ll take our time. Highly concerned about the privacy of testers and people around the user. These prototype devices in development look like regular glasses with lens displays and audio and video sensors like microphones and cameras.”

Google had introduced AR glasses at its developer conference in May, and the key feature introduced at that time was “real-time translation”. During the demonstration, Google employees said that AR glasses are “the subtitles of the world”.

Apple, Meta, and Microsoft are also developing AR devices, but now the AR devices are far from mature.

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