Google Reportedly Plans to Make an Augmented Reality Headset, and Here's Why It's Primed to Succeed
In spite of Google Glass' early stumbles, Alphabet's (GOOGL) - Get Report Google apparently isn't giving up on augmented reality headsets. Given the company's unique technology strengths and its AR investments to date, that's probably the right call.
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Engadget reports Google is "working on a dedicated headset that blurs the line between virtual reality and augmented reality." It adds the device doesn't need a phone or PC to power it, and that it will "offer features more in line with augmented reality systems than existing VR headsets" such as Facebook's Oculus Rift, HTC's Vive and Sony's PlayStation VR.
The Rift, Vive and PlayStation VR are more gaming-focused for now, and require a headset to be paired with either a high-end PC or a console. That's because the CPU and GPU power required for high-quality VR experiences are difficult to house in a standalone VR headset for the time being.
But augmented reality, in which digital content is merely superimposed on a user's real-world view, is a different story, as both Niantic's massively popular smartphone game Pokemon Go and Microsoft's (MSFT) - Get Report HoloLens AR headset demonstrates. A $3,000 HoloLens development kit began shipping earlier this year.
Engadget's report follows one from Re/code stating Google nixed plans to create a standalone high-end VR headset that would compete against the Rift and Vive. This project was reportedly nixed in favor of directing resources towards Google's new and inexpensive Daydream VR platform, which involves headsets that rely on Android phones to provide a headset's display, camera and processing power. Both Google and many Android phone vendors plan to launch Daydream headsets.
Curiously, the Engadget report never used the term "Google Glass," even though Glass, which overlays information, images and other content on a transparent headset display, clearly fits the description of an AR platform. Glass still hasn't seen a full commercial launch, as privacy concerns and other issues led to a spate of bad PR and apparently drove Google to delay releasing a mass-market model. But a number of innovative Glass apps have been released, and many businesses have been coming up with potential uses.
It isn't clear whether the headset discussed by Engadget represents a new Glass model -- Google appears to be prepping an enterprise-focused Glass headset. But even if it doesn't, Glass provides a foundation for bringing a standalone AR headset to market. Chipmaker Himax Technologies (HIMX) - Get Reporthas been supplying microdisplays for Glass, and is reportedly doing so for HoloLens as well.
Also providing a foundation, and potentially giving Google a major way to differentiate, are the company's arguably unmatched investments in artificial intelligence technologies that can make sense of digital and real-world content. Understanding what a user is seeing in the real world, and using that knowledge to provide relevant content and increase the power of software tools, will inevitably be a big part of AR.
And no tech giant is better at this right now than Google. For evidence, look at how Google Photos uses AI to automatically tag photos and even sometimes figure out where a picture was taken. Or how Google's Now on Tap service pulls up content related to whatever happens to be on a phone's screen, and can now do the same for whatever is seen by a phone's camera.
VC and GigaOm founder Om Malik recently made the case that the biggest legacy of Pokemon Go's massive popularity could be how the game is making users comfortable with relying on AR as a way of obtaining information about the world around them.
"This weekend I went to the recently opened San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and wanted to know everything about the art and various installations, beyond what was posted on the walls." Malik said. "I felt as if I should be able to lift my phone and get more details on the process of the creation of the art work, rather than having to type a search term into my browser."
If such behavior becomes commonplace, Google -- both via AR headsets and smartphone software -- is better-positioned to cater to it than anyone else.