Meta unveils Orion, the 'most advanced' AR glasses ever made
US tech giant Meta has announced its first truly augmented reality (AR) smart glasses, the Orion. The company showcased the device at the Meta Connect 2024 event, after months of speculation. The firm describes Orion as "the most advanced pair of AR glasses ever made," a result of "breakthrough inventions in virtually every field of modern computing."
Unique features and user experience
Orion uses mini projectors to display holograms onto the glasses, a feature that sets it apart from other AR products. The design is less bulky than previous mainstream AR products, such as Magic Leap, Microsoft's Hololens, and Google Glass. Unlike VR headsets that can isolate users from their surroundings, Orion allows wearers to maintain awareness of their environment through onboard cameras.
AI integration and holographic capabilities
Orion is designed to be lightweight and functional both indoors and outdoors. The glasses offer "digital experiences that are unconstrained by the limits of a smartphone screen," by overlaying holographic elements onto the real world. Meta has also integrated contextual AI into Orion to enhance users' understanding of their surroundings, enabling them to perform tasks like generating recipes based on fridge contents or making video calls via Messenger and WhatsApp.
Availability and future development
Currently, only Meta employees and "select external audiences" have access to Orion. This limited release is part of Meta's strategy to refine the product before launching a consumer version. Despite being in its developmental stage, Meta insists that Orion is not just a research prototype but "one of the most polished product prototypes we've ever developed." The company aims to reduce the cost of the glasses for affordability, as stated by CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Orion's neural interface and field of view
Orion will be controlled through a "neural interface," a feature resulting from Meta's acquisition of CTRL-Labs in 2019. The company plans to pair the glasses with a compatible wrist band developed by CTRL-Labs. Orion boasts "the largest field of view in the smallest AR glasses form to date," enabling immersive use cases like multitasking windows, big-screen entertainment, and life-size holograms of people.
