Google has announced it is opening up video conferencing service Meet to all users of its Glass augmented reality (AR) goggles.
Meet on Glass is designed to allow technicians and other types of frontline worker to livestream their first-person perspective on a video call, in the same way as someone might share their desktop. At the same time, headset users are able to see and converse with other co-workers on the call.
In a blog post, Google explained that all users of Glass Enterprise Edition 2 will now be able to access the beta version of Meet on Glass, which launched for a select few testers in October 2020.
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Meet on Google Glass
According to Google, the move to bring video conferencing to Glass is part of an ongoing commitment to creating new and immersive ways for employees to collaborate - and not just from an office environment.
“Meet on Glass is one of the ways we’re bringing powerful new video conferencing experiences to customers around the world, regardless of the devices they’re using to connect and collaborate with their teams,” wrote Dave Citron, Director, Google Workspace.
“When combined with our Google Meet hardware and peripherals, the possibilities for real-time connection and problem solving are even greater.”
Currently, Glass is pitched at enterprise only, particularly frontline workers operating out of factories, data centers and the like. For instance, a technician performing maintenance work could dial into a Google Meet session to discuss the best course of action with a colleague, with both parties able to examine the equipment in real-time.
“Seeing is believing. For many service technicians, trainers and other frontline workers, the ability to share a real-time view of what they can see with their virtual clients or teams can make all the difference,” Citron added.
However, it doesn’t require a huge leap to imagine video conferencing on consumer grade augmented reality glasses in future. At the moment, the main barrier to entry is price.
The current generation of Google Glass headsets cost $999 per unit, while Microsoft HoloLens 2 comes in at an eye-watering $3,500, with a much greater range of features. But as the technology improves and manufacturers find ways to cut costs, perhaps it won’t be long before we’re using AR glasses to video call friends and family too.
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