Meta's first true AR glasses look like they deserve the name
Meta has unveiled its first AR glasses, featuring new technologies and a surprisingly slim form factor.
After almost ten years of research and development, Meta has unveiled a prototype of AR glasses called Orion. The device is not intended to be a product - it would simply be too expensive to manufacture - but it is intended to show the direction in which AR is heading in the coming years.
"This is not a research prototype. It’s the most polished product prototype we’ve ever developed—and it’s truly representative of something that could ship to consumers," says Meta.
Futuristic technology
Meta says Orion has the world's most advanced AR display, with lenses made of silicon carbide instead of glass and a field of view of around 70 degrees, wider than most other AR glasses and headsets. Intricate waveguides direct light from uLED projectors into the eye.
The wearable uses seven cameras and sensors, as well as a number of specialized silicon developed by Meta specifically for the AR glasses.
The Orion AR glasses. | Image: Meta
They are controlled by voice, gaze and hand tracking as well as an EMG wristband that decodes neural signals using AI and translates them into computer commands. The wristband can only be used to swipe, click and scroll with micro gestures of the fingers; a controller is not required.
The EMG wristband used to control Orion. | Image: Meta
A compute puck does the processing
To achieve this small form factor, Meta offloads some of the processing power to a wireless pocket computer, which renders the AR graphics and performs the calculations for the tracking systems. The Puck fits in a pocket.
Orion supports Meta AI, WhatsApp and Messenger, and video calls. The AR glasses can also show useful visualizations, play AR games and support multitasking.
The wearable will be made available to Meta employees and a select external audience from today and throughout the year, so that Meta can learn from it and improve the AR glasses. The company plans to launch a line of consumer AR glasses in the near future (but expect something much simpler than Orion).
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