Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) announced on Tuesday that it would be entering a closed public testing phase for its new augmented reality glasses.
"Testing only in a lab environment has its limitations," the company said in its blog post. "So, starting next month, we plan to test AR prototypes in the real world. This will allow us to better understand how these devices can help people in their everyday lives. And as we develop experiences like AR navigation, it will help us take factors such as weather and busy intersections into account - which can be difficult, sometimes impossible, to fully recreate indoors."
The tech giant will begin prototype glasses in public spaces with Google employees as well as "select trusted testers." Google has said that testers will only use prototypes in certain public settings, avoiding schools, government buildings, hospitals, or other "sensitive" settings.
Like the company's first AR product, Google Glass, the prototypes will have in-lens displays, microphones, and cameras. In what is likely a move to address the privacy concerns of Google Glass recording users as they went about their day, the company has claimed that the prototypes have strict limitations in place for the use of cameras. The prototypes are not capable of taking photos or videos but can use their cameras to support AR experiences such as translating text in the world around you or guiding you to your destination.
The glasses were announced back in May, with Google CEO Sundar Pichai claiming that the glasses, among other features, would have the ability to translate languages in real-time. In demo videos, the glasses were seen transcribing the speech of a Google employee in subtitles on the lens.
Google is currently racing against its rivals Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), and Meta (NASDAQ: META) to ring the first commercially practical AR glasses to market.
Already, Microsoft has secured a substantial contract to supply its HoloLens technology to the U.S. Army. If successful, the product would provide U.S. soldiers with an AR heads-up display akin to those used in video games and science-fiction movies.
Apple is still working towards its own product, with rumors circulating that the firm could announce its AR tech in the next year or so. While Meta's focus seems to be concentrated on virtual reality, the company has also shown off AR prototypes to members of the press. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that the company plans to spend $10 billion on VR and AR this year.