%Google ($GOOGL) is once again testing prototypes of its %AugmentedRealityGlasses in public settings.
The company announced the new tests in a public blog post and said that the prototypes look like normal eyeglasses but are equipped with microphones, cameras and transparent displays.
The tests represent a significant advance in Google’s development of augmented reality technology that superimposes computer-generated images over the real world. Google said it wants to test apps such as real-time translation or showing a user directions on the inside of the glass’s lenses.
Google is also trying to get ahead of the kind of privacy concerns that scuttled Google Glass, the company’s first attempt at an augmented reality device.
%GoogleGlass was equipped with a front-facing camera, and critics worried about users recording people without their permission. Following mounting criticism, Google repurposed the glasses to focus on business customers rather than consumers.
The new Google augmented reality device features an LED light that turns on when the glasses are recording image data. Google says the glasses will not record video or take photographs for users to store, but they may capture and use image data to perform functions such as identifying objects or showing directions.
Testers won’t wear the glasses in schools, government buildings, healthcare locations, churches, protests, or other sensitive areas, Google said. Exact locations where the tests will be conducted haven’t been named by the company.
Google faces competition in the augmented reality space from %Apple ($AAPL), %MetaPlatforms ($META), and %Microsoft ($MSFT). All four companies have invested billions in augmented reality software and hardware.
Apple is reportedly planning to introduce an augmented reality headset as soon as next year. Meta has announced that it will release an advanced headset that supports augmented reality later this year. Microsoft’s %Hololens is the most advanced augmented reality hardware available to consumers right now.
Google stock is down 22% this year and trading at $113.81 U.S. per share. The stock split on a 20-for-1 basis on July 18.