Image Credits: Ians
According to job advertisements listings by Protocol, Amazon may be the next large tech corporation to venture into augmented reality. The business is looking for a “new-to-world smart-home product” that employs “XR” technology in some capacity.
Amazon Mysterious AR Smart Home Device
Regrettably, few specifics are included in the postings. According to one job description, a “software engineer — XR/AR, XR/AR Devices” will be responsible for “conceiving and designing critical software and architecture for a new-to-the-world smart-home gadget.” The job is a part of a “new cross-functional team.”
Another job posting for a “Sr. Technical Program Manager, New Products — XR” states how “you will transform an advanced XR research concept into a wonderful and helpful new-to-the-world consumer product.”
This list and another offer the following recommended qualifications: “experience designing extremely technological goods, such as AI/ML, robots, and gaming.” Amazon did not immediately respond to a comment request.
Many major technology companies are dipping their toes into AR/VR products. Meta, previously Facebook, has likely shifted the most in this direction; it currently produces the popular Quest headset and smart glasses in collaboration with Ray-Ban, and it plans to debut its first AR glasses in 2024. Apple’s long-rumored AR/VR headset might be released in 2023. Google wants to release its augmented reality headgear in 2024.
Snapchat revealed its genuine AR glasses in May, and while The Verge checked them out in December, they aren’t yet accessible to the general public. And Microsoft has been selling the HoloLens for quite some time.
Given its large array of smart home products, Amazon may have an edge in AR (and VR if it decides to adopt that technology). I can envision a future in which a pair of Amazon AR / VR glasses interact with other Alexa-enabled devices to provide you with an instant snapshot of everything going on in your house right in front of your eyes. (This would be an improvement above what the present Echo Frames can achieve.)
But keep in mind that this is the same corporation that has done some out-of-the-box thinking in the past. The unsuccessful Fire Phone could alter what you saw on the screen depending on your viewpoint.
The Amazon Echo smart speaker, which is now commonplace, was a new concept at the time. Amazon has also lately unveiled Astro, a house robot.
All of this is to indicate that Amazon may have some equally intriguing ideas for their upcoming AR / XR gadget.
