Google Glass may feature Magic Leap tech after all

Oct 4, 2015 10:56 GMT  ·  By

The upcoming Google Glass project, surnamed Project Aurora, is still based on old-school technology, and users still look at flat pictures that get superimposed on a 3D world. Not anymore, as Google is probably planning to develop a hologram display for Glass. 

Apparently, another patent uploaded at USPTO shows a "head wearable display" that would show holograms as being developed by Google. The company wants to develop a device similar to Microsoft's HoloLens, which would create an augmented-reality experience that isn't limited by screens anymore and gets all the information displayed in front of people's eyes as being much more close and personal than simple displays would allow it. Filed in March 2014, the patent shows Google’s research into how it could merge its head mounted display technology with AR.

At the moment, it is probably too early to draw conclusions about what Google would do with the new patent, but we can imagine that, sometime in the future, Microsoft's HoloLens will have some fresh competition, only not right now. It's no secret that Google is developing a new generation of Glass, which promises to be more rugged, with better WiFi radio emitter ensuring a much larger bandwidth, together with larger screens, while also packing a larger rechargeable battery.

It's unlikely Google will develop two separate smart eyeware devices

It's very likely that the new patent involves Google's other hush-hush project, called Magic Leap, which promises to bring virtual reality before your very eyes. As it presents at the moment, Magic Leap would give users the impression that they're playing games and shooting at aliens right in their room, promising maximum immersion.

It's unknown if Google wants to unify the two projects under the same hardware, or it will use two separate headsets, but it would make sense to do so, and would be much easier to develop apps only for one set of smart eyewear instead of two. Therefore, it won't be surprising if holograms and Magic Leap arrive on Glass after all.