Google may be using augmented reality after all
Google has been relatively silent concerning its Project Glass in recent months. The company has faced significant criticism since suggesting last year that Google Glass will not actually support augmented reality. Given that augmented reality was billed as one of the most important aspects of Google Glass, the possibility that the glasses would not make use of the technology garnered the company some backlash with consumers. Google has released a new video that shows off the user interface of Google Glass, suggesting that augmented reality may indeed be a part of the ambitious project.
Company receives criticism for backing away from AR
Project Glass, which is now commonly referred to as Google Glass, was first introduced in early 2012 through the project’s Google+ page. The project was revealed with a video that showed off the prospective features of Google Glass, but did not actually represent the project’s actual capabilities. Google Glass generated a great deal of hype because of its use of augmented reality, leveraging this technology to provide users with a variety of features relating to social media and search.
New video showcases Glass interface
Google’s latest video shows a new interface for Glass that suggests that augmented reality may, in fact, be a key part of the project. The video depicts Glass being used to capture video, take pictures, and stream live footage via Google Hangouts. Not shown in the video is Glass’ capability to recognize a variety of languages and translate these languages into a user’s native tongue. Google claims that the interface is voice-controlled, a significant feature that had not been revealed in past Glass announcements.
Google overcomes challenges with augmented reality
The potential for Google Glass to make use for augmented reality may help redeem the project in the eyes of some consumers. Google had claimed that augmented reality would have been exceedingly difficult to incorporate into Glass due to the complex nature of the technology, but the company may have been able to overcome the challenges it saw with augmented reality. Google Glass is expected to be released later this year, but no specific date has yet been revealed.