Earlier this year, Google made the surprising announcement that it would be discontinuing Google Glass, the smart glass device that provided users with various information at a glance. However, there was anticipation surrounding the company’s next venture in the Augmented Reality (AR) space, internally known as ‘Project Iris,‘ especially in light of Apple, Meta, and Samsung’s renewed interest in AR technology.
Unveiling the Demise: The Journey of Google’s Project Iris in the AR Landscape
Unfortunately, a recent report from Business Insider suggests that Google may have scrapped the project several months after Clay Bavor, the project lead, left the company’s AR division.Initially, Project Iris was planned as a standalone device, and Google had acquired the Canadian company North in 2020, which specialized in smart glasses and even showcased their translation capabilities. In July of last year, Google announced its intention to begin real-world testing of AR prototypes.
The Rise and Fall of Project Iris
So, what led to the demise of Project Iris? According to reports, the project faced challenges such as layoffs and constantly shifting strategies during its development phase. In addition to Clay Bavor, the head of VR/AR at Google, another engineer named Kurt Akeley retired. The company is also said to have canceled its internal AR hardware development, although some employees will remain at Google Labs to continue testing and developing AR hardware. Despite appearances, this doesn’t mean that Google has abandoned the AR headset market entirely.
Earlier this year, Google, Samsung, and Qualcomm revealed that they were collaborating on a mixed-reality headset powered by a Qualcomm chip and manufactured by Samsung, with Google overseeing the software development. Sources within Google have also hinted that Project Iris may be revived in the future, as certain teams continue to experiment with AR. Furthermore, the remaining employees in Google’s AR Labs division are currently focused on developing software for future XR (Extended Reality) devices.In a recent confirmation, Google stated that Samsung’s upcoming XR headset will run on a modified version of Android.
However, the new report indicates that Google is also working on a ‘micro XR’ platform specifically designed for AR glasses. This prototyping platform, called ‘Betty,’ could potentially be licensed to manufacturers, similar to how Google licenses Android.
