LONDON: Google has announced the creation of a new AI-powered computer operating system designed to power new forms of headsets and smart glasses, and it says it will begin selling next year.
The tech giant announced a new version of the Android operating system it uses to power smartphones and tablets had been built specifically for wearable computers, such as extended reality (XR) headsets and smart glasses that can add digital content over the real world that the user can see around them.
Called Android XR, the US firm said it was partnering with chip maker Qualcomm and Korean tech giant Samsung on the first products for this new computing system – a headset codenamed Project Moohan and being built by Samsung – which Google said would be available for purchase next year.
The announcement comes at the end of a year during which Apple launched its own "spatial computing” headset, the Apple Vision Pro.
Meanwhile, Facebook parent company Meta has extended its range of virtual and mixed reality headsets with the Quest line of devices, introduced its first AI-powered Ray-Ban smart glasses which can respond to voice commands, and teased a pair of smart glasses called Project Orion which would add icons and content over a user’s field of view.
Google’s vice president and general manager of XR, Shahram Izadi, said: "We started Android over a decade ago with a simple idea: transform computing for everyone. Android powers more than just phones – it’s on tablets, watches, TVs, cars and more.
"Now, we’re taking the next step into the future. Advancements in AI are making interacting with computers more natural and conversational.” – dpa
