Google is reportedly continuing to work on its standalone headset project that blends virtual and augmented reality.
Google's VR Standalone Headset
According to Engadget, Google's upcoming standalone VR device will work differently from its current Daydream VR headset that will soon be launched on the market. The eye-tracking VR standalone headset project has been rumored previously, according to The Verge. In July, Recode reported that Google discontinue its project, but now seems that the idea is still alive.
The gadget will be able to function completely standalone, without any personal computer or smartphone attached. This totally wireless, standalone headset will allow users to map out the real world around them. The eye-tracking gadget might even follow user's gaze.
The new VR headset designed by Google would have its own built-in computer, according to the report. Its eye-tracking technology will use computer vision chips from Movidius in order figure out its environment and its location within a room. If the report is accurate, this upcoming standalone VR headset could position Google in direct competition with Intel, Qualcomm and Facebook's Oculus. The three high-tech companies have each introduced completely wireless VR headset's, according to CNET.
Eye-Tracking, The Future Of VR Gadgets
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated at the recent Oculus Connect developer conference that standalone wireless headsets are a potential new market positioned between lower-end models where you insert an existing smartphone and high-end headsets which require a PC. However, But neither the Microsoft HoloLens nor Facebook's wireless Oculus Rift has implemented an eye-tracking technology. This is a feature that could prove not only very popular but also very valuable for the future of VR devices.
An eye-tracking headset could show the best graphics where the user is looking, instead of wasting its processing power on user's peripheral vision. This graphics technique is known as foveated rendering. Google might get ahead of its competitors on the VR consumer market if its eye-tracking VR headset will materialize soon.
