Google will begin field testing its next-gen AR glasses in August

Back at I/O 2022 in May, Google teased the return of its augmented reality glasses by showing off an early prototype of its next-gen glasses. Now, the company is about to begin real-world testing. You may spot a Googler wearing glasses in the wild as early as August.

"Real-world testing will give us a better understanding of how these devices can help people in their daily lives," wrote Juston Payne, group product manager at Google's AR and VR division, in an article by blog. "And as we develop experiences like AR navigation, it will help us take into account factors like weather and busy intersections, which can be difficult or impossible to fully recreate in the first place. interior."

Testing will be limited to a few dozen people (Google employees and trusted testers). Prototype models will feature in-lens cameras, microphones and displays. Google evaluates audio and visual detection for functions such as translation, transcription and navigation.

However, functionality will be limited. The glasses won't capture photos or videos, although Google uses image data to translate text and display instructions. Data will be deleted "once the experiment is finished", unless it is used for debugging and analysis. In this case, Google will remove sensitive information, such as faces and license plates. The company will delete image data used for research purposes after 30 days.

Google Glass did not meet with the success the company had hoped for; today it is an enterprise product. The company wants to get it right with its next-gen AR glasses, so it's taking things slow. Payne noted that this was just the start of the project. There is no release schedule for the glasses yet.

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