Both the Oculus Rift and Google Glass can be considered as wearable objects, but are they really the same thing? Google Glass could be thought of more as an augmented reality wearable, while the Oculus Rift is seen more as virtual reality. That being said, it probably does sting a little for Google when their lead electrical engineer, Adrian Wong, left the company for Facebook.
According to Wong’s LinkedIn profile, it shows that he has moved to Facebook and will be working on Facebook’s recent acquisition that got everyone up in arms, the Oculus Rift. It is unclear as to what his specific role at Oculus VR will be about, but given that Wong’s expertise with Glass had to do with the main PCB and display electronic subsystems used in the device, presumably his role at Oculus VR could be similar.
Wong’s last day at Google was on the 2nd of May, where he even posted a goodbye message on Facebook to address his colleagues at Google. “#FreshStartFridays – Surprise! Today is my last day at Google. Three rollercoaster years with Google[x] and Glass. What amazing memories. Now, time for the next great adventure!”
TechCrunch also found that Wong holds at least 10 patents that are related to Glass-style eyewear, meaning that what he brings to the table at Oculus VR could be a pretty big deal, not to mention a pretty big loss for Google as well. It will be interesting to see what could come of Oculus VR’s new hire.
Filed in . Read more about Google Glass, Oculus Rift and Wearable Tech.