Google's widely criticized Google Glass headset could make a comeback as "augmented reality" technology improves, Google's hardware division said.

Rick Osterloh, the head of Google's hardware division, said that the glasses were "very interesting to us", although he admitted it would be years before they will become a mass market product.

"We're trying to determine what the best future will look like for other kinds of ways to experience AR than just phones," Mr Osterloh said.

"We're constantly looking at all sorts of different form factors, we have a lot of research happening, but we have no imminent product announcement.

"It will take a while for the technologies to mature... it will be a few years before that's the case. We're going to invest for a long period of time in that area as the technology catches up to where people want it to go."

Google's camera-equipped glasses, which featured a screen for reading texts and discreetly watching videos, was released in 2014. They sparked a privacy backlash and Google cancelled the project a year later.

Intel and Magic Leap are both working on holographic glasses while Microsoft's HoloLens went on sale in 2016. Apple is also rumored to be developing its own device.