Project Astra suggests an improbable return for Google Glass
Google seems to be teasing the comeback of Glass. At least the corporation unexpectedly reintroduced augmented reality (AR) glasses with the launch of Project Astra. Why is Google’s augmented reality project experiencing a rebirth?
After its 2015 launch, Google Glass was quickly discontinued. But up until last year, the augmented reality glasses were still accessible for business use. Microsoft’s far more successful HoloLens, which has traditionally been limited to professional uses, is heavier and is used, for example, to help with aeroplane building.
The purpose of augmented reality is to overlay the real environment with a digital layer. For instance, the end user of Google Glass may receive alerts and other user interface components via a small projector on the edge of the glasses in addition to being able to see ordinary reality.
The AR/VR/MR market is now back at full speed. Microsoft discontinued Windows Mixed Reality last year, but Apple and Meta are making waves with new spatial computing technologies. The terms MR, VR, spatial computing, AR, and other terms are still confusing. The visual experience is one in which the user does not fully disappear into a digital world; rather, digital features are an addition to that reality. Thankfully, that’s still often referred to as AR. Nevertheless, regardless of how much the user can still see outdoors, Apple would refer to it as spatial computing.
Google did not make a clear announcement about the glasses at this week’s I/O event. But in a pre-cut movie introducing Project Astra—not to be confused with NetApp’s version—it was plainly obvious. As a result, Google’s AI suite becomes an all-inclusive helper that can monitor your smartphone’s camera. Google has Gemini’s models prepared to enhance the user experience using AI, whether it text, picture, or sound.
That could be found in applications like Photos that work with Ask Photos or the popular search engine, but it can also be used to identify things or decipher code from photos taken with a camera. Demis Hassabis, the head of Google DeepMind, describes a universal assistant as something akin to the AI voice in the film Her or the Star Trek Communicator. The fact that it’s constantly there for you will become second nature, he assured.
Google deliberately used cellphones to highlight Project Astra. Nevertheless, Hassabis’ justification and the appearance of the glasses imply that further plans are forthcoming. Given that it can monitor precisely what the user is viewing, a resurgence of Google Glass would make sense in order to realise the concept of an omnipresent assistant. But prospective clients will have to be persuaded of its feasibility. This relies in part on having a competitive pricing, which the Apple Vision Pro glasses, for instance, do not. That VR headgear is shockingly priced at $3,500 and will soon be available in Europe.
Is there an actual user waiting for this? is the second issue, which may be more difficult to answer. In order to avoid privacy issues arising from transferring personal data to the cloud, vendors are attempting to optimise their AI models for smartphones. If Google is able to keep up, a lot of prospective buyers will dismiss any AR glasses as ridiculous. Nearly ten years after the first Google Glass was released, a successful replacement may exist if everything can be used locally with the features offered.
