Alphabet's biggest tech arm, Google, has officially patented an augmented reality headset that will replace Google Glass.
After failing to please the consumer market, Google Glass was scrapped by the company, and now the United States Patent and Trademark Office has awarded a Project Aura to Google, says Yibada. Project Aura not only aims to redeem the failure of Google Glass, but will also attempt to compete with Microsoft Hololens, which will be released next year.
Augmented reality is different from virtual reality, as augmented reality doesn't create a 'new reality' but adds to the existing one. Imagine users being able to project images of cars unto an empty space in car showrooms, which Microsoft is planning to do with Volvo.
The patent describes Project Aura as being able to adjust to each user's head and recall the configuration for later use, reports The Bit Bag. The new 'Google Glass' will cover one side of the face, and will be mounted above one eye to project images. Further, there are also talks about the possibility to view videos in the other eye through a prism.
Users will remember how Google Glass was a great concept, but was flawed in its implementation, as users were not ready for "glassholes" and neither was the tech development. Geek Snack shares how The Google Glass was discontinued in January 2015 after being viewed as too expensive, half-baked and bug laden.
Tony Fadell, former Senior VR for the iPod division of Apple and the founder of Nest Labs, has been appointed as head of Project Aura, which adds promise to Project Aura. Tony Fadell has been connected with Alphabet after the company acquired Nest Labs in January 2014 for $3.2 Billion.
Google will most probably be unveiling Project Aura in the upcoming Google I/O 2016 if the product actually comes to life. It is important to note that a patent doesn't always guarantee that the product will be created.
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