Google renews push into mixed reality headgear

SAN FRANCISCO: Google is ramping up its push into smart glasses and augmented reality headgear, taking on rivals Apple and Meta with help from its sophisticated Gemini artificial intelligence.

The internet titan on Thursday unveiled an Android XR operating system created in a collaboration with Samsung, which will use it in a device being built in what is called internally “Project Moohan,” according to Google.

The software is designed to power augmented and virtual reality experiences enhanced with artificial intelligence, XR vice president Shahram Izadi said in a blog post.

“With headsets, you can effortlessly switch between being fully immersed in a virtual environment and staying present in the real world,” Izadi said.

“You can fill the space around you with apps and content, and with Gemini, our AI assistant, you can even have conversations about what you’re seeing or control your device.”

Google this week announced the launch of Gemini 2.0, its most advanced artificial intelligence model to date, as the world’s tech giants race to take the lead in the fast-developing technology.

CEO Sundar Pichai said the new model would mark what the company calls “a new agentic era” in AI development, with AI models designed to understand and make decisions about the world around you.

Android XR infused with Gemini promises to put digital assistants into eyewear, tapping into what users are seeing and hearing.