Google buys smart glasses start-up North to support ‘ambient’ computing quest
- Canadian start-up North developed its lightweight Focals smart glasses, designed with a holographic display that only the user can see
- Google’s acquisition shows that it remains focused on developing an alternative device to the smartphone for online information and activity
Google has acquired smart glasses start-up North to help the internet giant develop what it calls ambient computing. A price was not disclosed, but Canada’s The Globe and Mail recently reported a US$180 million deal was imminent.
North, based in Kitchener, Ontario, started developing a device in 2012 that responded to gestures and “neuromuscular impulses”, then switched to Focals glasses that pick up on signals from people’s eyes.
Earlier this year, North was looking to sell itself because the start-up was running low on cash. In a blog post announcing the deal with Google, North co-founders said they are winding down the first version of their Focals glasses and will not be shipping the next model.
Alphabet’s Google has been pursuing this type of technology for years, with limited commercial success so far.
The company rolled out Google Glass internet-connected eyewear in 2013, but the device flopped as a consumer product, although it lives on as an enterprise offering.