Head-up display on the nose: Google prepares smart glasses for Android Auto

Google prepares the entry into the Smart Glass market-at least that suggests indications in the code of Android Auto. They could be used as a head-up display on the nose while driving.

How Android Authority reportsfor example, navigation instructions in the glasses should be shown in the driver’s field of vision.

Android Auto: Apparently soon navigation instructions

Instead of looking at the screen of the infotainment system in the car, drivers could soon get coding nipples from the Android-Auto-APK directly via smart glasses. The function is intended to help keep a view on the street instead of always drawing attention to the infotainment screen for navigation using Google Maps.

Car manufacturers already offer solutions such as head-up displays or information about the screen behind the steering wheel, but these options are not available in all vehicles. Google seems to be aware of this.

According to the Android authority authors Pranob Mehrotra and Assembledebug, the feature is still in an early development phase. One of the discovered text fragments in the code specifically mentions the function: “To display navigation on smart glasses, start navigation.”

BMW has been experimenting with smart glasses in the car for years

The fact that Google is experimenting with the expansion of navigation instructions from Android Auto on smart glasses is considered to be secure based on the code fragments. However, there is still all sorts of unclear. It is uncertain which smart glasses the feature can be used to realize. Likewise, it is not certain when or whether the function is released.

In view of the fact that Google Android XR also developed for smart glasses, it would be conceivable that upcoming models will be supported with the operating system. Among other things, Samsung works on AR glasses based on Android XR. Google also seems to be progressing with the development of its own glasses-at least the manufacturer has recently demonstrated some smart glass functions live on stage-but still with a prototype.

AR in the car is not completely new: BMW subsidiary Mini had already shown in 2015 how additional information with AR glasses can be displayed directly into the driver’s field of vision. Most recently the carmaker had on the CES 2024 a demo Presented in which the driver receives extended content such as navigation or traffic information via smart glasses.