Google poaches a key Microsoft executive for its new AR effort

Google has hired a key architect of Microsoft’s Hololens mixed reality glasses to work on its own “Project Iris” augmented reality glasses project. The hire, first reported by Road to VR‘s Scott Hayden, took place in November. That’s roughly the same time that Google decided to centralize its AR/VR development efforts under the roof of Google Labs (as reported by TechCrunch’s Sarah Perez). Kress’s title is Director of XR (mixed reality) Engineering at Google Labs. The group is reportedly led by Clay Bavor, who reports directly to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai. The Verge‘s Alex Heath later reported that Google is working on a goggle-like mixed reality headset (under the codename Project Iris) that could come to market in 2024. At Microsoft, Kress worked on augmented reality and mixed reality optical architectures (displays, sensors, and imaging), optical subsystems, and on the industrial design and user interface of the Hololens. He also worked on the version of Hololens that Microsoft produced for the Army’s IVAS project. With Meta, Apple, Facebook, and others now furiously building the glasses that will be the primary gateway to the metaverse, a fierce war for the best talent has ensued. In this case Microsoft appears to be the loser. Kress should feel at home in Mountain View. Before he went to Microsoft in 2015 he was one of the principal architects of the (ill-fated) Google Glass smart glasses. Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90715218/google-poaches-microsoft-hololens-executive-ar?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss

Creato 3y | 21 gen 2022, 22:20:50


Accedi per aggiungere un commento

Altri post in questo gruppo

$2,300 for an iPhone? Trump’s tariffs could make that a reality

Your favorite iPhone could soon become much pricier, thanks to tariffs.

4 apr 2025, 16:30:07 | Fast company - tech
My dog recognizes the sounds a Waymo car makes

Most of us know the general (albeit simplified) story: Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov used a stimulus—like a metronome—around the dogs he was studying, and soon, the hounds would start to saliva

4 apr 2025, 16:30:07 | Fast company - tech
How I wrote the notes app of my dreams (no coding required)

For years, I’ve had a secret ambition tucked away somewhere near the back of my brain. It was to write a simple note-taking app—one that wouldn’t be overwhelmed with features and that would reflec

4 apr 2025, 14:20:04 | Fast company - tech
The AI tools we love right now—and what’s next

AI tools are everywhere, changing the way we work, communicate, and even create. But which tools are actually useful? And how can users integrate

4 apr 2025, 14:20:04 | Fast company - tech
How this former Disney Imagineer is shaping the next generation of defense technology

The way Bran Ferren sees it, the future of warfare depends as much on creativity as it does on raw firepower.

The former head of research and development at Walt Disney Imagineering—the

4 apr 2025, 11:50:04 | Fast company - tech
How AI is steering the media toward a ‘close enough’ standard

The nonstop cavalcade of announcements in the AI world has created a kind of reality distortion field. There is so much bu

4 apr 2025, 09:40:02 | Fast company - tech