Google's top-secret Project Iris intends to create an AR headset using a bespoke Google chip

Google is apparently working on Initiative Iris, a top-secret project aimed at developing a new augmented reality (AR) device. According to those familiar with the project, the AR headgear will resemble ski goggles and could hit the market in 2024.

More details about Project Iris, which were first hinted at earlier this month, have now been revealed in a new storey by The Verge, which cites two people familiar with the development. According to the sources, Project Iris is a "closely guarded secret" in Google, and only authorised personnel are permitted to enter the building where it is being developed. Google employees working on the project are claimed to be bound by non-disclosure agreements.

The project is now in progress at Google's San Francisco headquarters. According to the sources, roughly 300 people are now working on it, including several members of Team Pixel. Google intends to hire additional people for the job in the future. Clay Bavor, who is also the head of Project Starline and reports directly to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, leads the team.

At the moment, Google is thought to be working on early AR headset prototypes. The AR eyewear will, according to what is known, contain an outward-facing camera that will show a video of the real world onto the wearer. The glasses will add computer-generated images to this vision, giving the wearer a mixed reality experience. According to The Verge, Google's headset promises a more immersive experience than Snap and Magic Leap's existing AR glasses.

The AR glasses run on batteries and do not require any other power. According to what has been revealed so far, Google's future AR headset will feature a "unique Google CPU" and may run on Android. Recent job postings by Google, on the other hand, show that the tech giant is also working on a specific operating system for such gadgets.

According to Google sources, the corporation intends to exploit internet connectivity on the AR glasses to transmit remotely created graphics to users directly through its data centres. The method will assist Google in overcoming the AR headset's power limitations.

This will not be the first of its sort device from Google, if and when it is released. With AR and VR, the company has recently focused on the software side of things. Google Search, Google Lens, and Google Maps are just a few of the services that have augmented reality elements. Virtual reality has also made its way to Google Earth, although the equipment that make it possible, such as Google Cardboard, Google Daydream VR, and Google Glass and its variants, are limited. None, on the other hand, were well-received in international markets.

With its forthcoming AR headset, Google appears to be on the verge of changing this. According to recent information, Google is working on a powerful augmented reality device. With Apple and Meta both expected to release their own versions of AR headsets far sooner than Google, it's unclear how Project Iris will lead the AR hardware field.