Google’s I/O conference concluded this week, and one standout topic that people will be talking about for a long time is Google Lens.
Google Lens is a technology that integrates Google’s search engine with a smartphone’s camera. By taking a photo with Google Lens, your camera will be able to recognize objects and search for them on the web.
It goes deeper than that, as CEO Sundar Pichai’s keynote detailed with further examples.
One demo Pichai showcased involved connecting to a WiFi network simply by taking a picture of the name and password.
Another compelling demonstration involved taking a picture of a restaurant menu in a foreign language. Google Lens returned both a translated version of the menu and pictures of the dishes.
Google Lens can also tap into information from Google My Business and Google Maps. After taking a picture of a restaurant, you can see its reviews, hours of operation, contact information, and more.
There was also a demonstration of how Google Lens would work together with Google Assistant. After taking a picture of the marquee outside a venue, Google Assistant offered help with buying tickets and adding the event to Google Calendar.
No timeframe was given for when Google Lens is expected to launch, but it will not be a standalone app. Pichai said Google Lens would be available through Google Assistant and Google Photos.
