In its original report, the Verge disclosed a number of interesting details about Project Iris, which was then in its early stages of development. It seems that Google’s VR/AR headset has come a long way since, given that field testing is already underway.
The Verge now reports that Google will be testing a small number of prototype units to better understand how the headset fares under everyday circumstances. Google even published a blog post on the matter. The main features that will be tested are “translation, transcription and navigation”.
The tests will be conducted according to a set of strict privacy guidelines. The prototype units will resemble ordinary glasses and the testers will have to undergo special training and comply with a number of privacy measures.
These steps show a decisive move on Google’s part to learn from its mistakes with Google Glass. Whether it will be enough to make Project Iris a success remains to be seen. For reference, most pundits expect Google to release its VR/AR headset sometime around 2024. Hence, there is still a long way to go. We will have to wait and see.