Google’s next AR glasses may utilize rings and bracelets as controllers

For those of you who are following developments around the AR project closely, Google’s experimentation with different input methods won’t come as a surprise. After all, Google did acquire North — who worked on Focal and Loop, other AR frames that could be controlled via ring and joystick respectively — back in 2020.

As per the unspecified source, North has influenced Google’s design decisions. What was once a control method for Focals 2.0 is now seemingly completely integrated into Google’s next AR glasses project.

Separately, 9to5Google shares received insight on Google’s experiments with a band too. The device would provide feedback via vibration to its wearer, while allowing utilization of taps and swipes as input methods.

While that may not sound impressive as an experiment, a new point of view might change your mind: imagine that those bands were replaced by smartwatches and fitness bands. That would give further utility of the smart wearables, which are already widely accepted.

The idea would also help the AR glasses fit in more easily. If such a gadget comes out, and it could be further enhanced via smart tech you already own, then getting one would make more sense, right? It would also remove the learning curve of having to get used to an entirely new set of gestures and controls.

All that being said, the project still seems to be on the backburner in Google’s kitchen. Until we get more official info — possibly in next year’s I/O event — we can’t speculate further, but we can surely say that we’re excited to see such a device in action.