Meta's True AR Glasses

Meta Unveils Orion: The Next Step in AR Technology

Meta has introduced Orion, a pair of advanced AR glasses that the company believes represent the most sophisticated technology of its kind to date. Previously known as Project Nazare, Orion combines the familiar look and feel of traditional glasses with the immersive capabilities of augmented reality. This product is the result of significant breakthroughs across multiple fields of modern computing.

Meta is granting access to Orion for its employees and select external audiences, allowing the company to gather insights and refine the product as it works towards launching a consumer AR glasses line.

Five years ago, Meta announced its commitment to developing AR glasses, aiming to eliminate the need for people to choose between constant access to digital information and being present in the physical world. Orion is designed to bridge this gap, integrating the physical and digital worlds to enhance presence, connectivity, and empowerment.

The Importance of AR Glasses

According to Meta, AR glasses are crucial to the next leap in human-centered computing for several reasons:

1. They enable digital experiences that are not limited by the size of a smartphone screen, allowing users to overlay 2D and 3D content anywhere in the physical world.
2. They incorporate contextual AI capable of sensing and understanding the environment, anticipating and addressing users’ needs proactively.
3. They are lightweight, suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, and allow clear visibility of others' faces, eyes, and expressions.

Meta sees the future of wearable technology as a blend of convenience, large displays, high-bandwidth input, and contextual AI—all in a form factor that users can comfortably wear daily.

Progress in Smart Glasses Technology

Meta’s earlier product, the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, introduced hands-free access to digital life, enabling users to interact with an AI assistant, connect with friends, and capture moments without needing a phone. However, while Ray-Ban Meta glasses marked a significant step forward, the XR industry has long envisioned true AR glasses that combine a large holographic display with personalized AI in a comfortable, all-day wearable form. Orion meets this challenge.

Advanced AR Display in a Compact Design

Meta has spent years working to miniaturize the technology required to deliver the spatial experiences of VR and MR headsets into a pair of lightweight, stylish glasses. This has been one of the industry’s most challenging tasks, with early estimates suggesting a less than 10% chance of success. However, Meta has achieved this goal with Orion.

The glasses are a feat of miniaturization, with components reduced to fractions of a millimeter. This allowed Meta to create a contemporary design that users would feel comfortable wearing daily. Orion features the largest field of view ever achieved in such a compact form, supporting immersive experiences such as multitasking windows, big-screen entertainment, and life-size holograms that seamlessly integrate with the user’s view of the physical world.

What sets Orion apart from other AR or MR devices is its resemblance to regular glasses, complete with transparent lenses that allow users to see others' eyes and expressions, promoting natural social interaction.

Augmented Reality Experiences

The functionality of Orion goes beyond hardware. Meta has integrated its Meta AI assistant, which can understand the user’s physical environment and provide relevant visualizations. For example, users can open their refrigerator and receive recipe suggestions based on its contents, or make a video call while updating a digital calendar.

The glasses also allow hands-free communication through WhatsApp and Messenger, enabling users to stay connected without reaching for their phones. Meta’s development teams continue to refine the experiences available through Orion, with plans to expand its capabilities further.

A Strategic Prototype

While Orion will not be immediately available to consumers, Meta emphasizes that this is not merely a research prototype. It is one of the most polished product prototypes the company has developed, close to being ready for the market. However, Meta has opted to focus on internal development first, aiming to push the boundaries of the technology and deliver a superior consumer product in the future.

Looking Ahead

Starting at Connect and continuing throughout the year, Meta will provide access to Orion for its employees and select external audiences. This move is intended to gather feedback, iterate on the design, and build towards the eventual release of a consumer AR glasses product line.

Meta’s future plans for Orion include improving AR display quality, optimizing the form factor, and scaling production to make the glasses more affordable. Over the next few years, Meta expects to introduce new devices that build on these R&D efforts, moving closer to the goal of creating technology that keeps people present in the physical world while offering the benefits of digital connectivity.

What is Meta Orion?

In the evolving world of technology, rumors have long been circulating about Meta's leap into the realm of augmented reality with a pair of smart glasses that could redefine our digital interactions. This year, the tech giant might just pull the curtain back on what's been a closely guarded secret, offering the world a first look at what could very well be the next leap forward in spatial computing.

Dubbed "Orion" within Meta, these glasses are said to be a technological marvel, a leap beyond the cool, yet relatively simple Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses and the immersive, yet niche, Meta Quest headsets. The Ray-Bans, for all their sleek design and nifty audio AI, lack the visual punch of AR, while the Quests dive deep into VR and mixed reality but are tethered by their bulk. Orion promises something different, something more: a true AR experience, seamlessly melding the digital and physical right before our eyes.

Meta's ambition with Orion is not just to innovate but to set a new standard in how we interact with the world around us. The buzz is that these glasses will be packed with advanced features that could bring the kind of mixed reality experiences offered by titans like the HoloLens 2, Vision Pro, and Quest, but in a form factor as unobtrusive as everyday eyewear. If Meta can pull this off, if they can deliver on the promise of Orion, they're not just entering the AR game—they're looking to lead it.

Meta's CTO Andrew Bosworth said in an interview,

“I might get myself in trouble for saying this; I think it might be the most advanced piece of technology on the planet in its domain. In the domain of consumer electronics, it might be the most advanced thing that we’ve ever produced as a species.”

When Will Meta Release Orion?

But here's the truth: Orion isn't quite ready to step out into the daylight. While a sneak peek might be on the horizon this year with rumors of a grand unveiling slated for 2027. In the meantime, we might get a taste of what's to come with a new iteration of Ray-Ban smart glasses.

The potential unveiling of Orion isn't just about showing off shiny new tech; it's about setting the stage for a future where AR glasses are as common as smartphones, seamlessly integrating digital enhancements into our daily lives. But technology is only part of the equation. For AR to truly take off, it must weave itself into the fabric of our culture, becoming as indispensable and unremarkable as the devices we carry in our pockets today.

If Meta manages to harness the capabilities of the HoloLens 2, Vision Pro, and Quest Pro into something as sleek and wearable as Orion purports to be, they won't just be joining the ranks of spatial computing pioneers—they'll be leading the charge. It's a bold vision, one that could very well shape the future of how we interact with the world and each other. In the race to redefine reality, Meta is gearing up to show us not just what's possible, but what's next.

Meta Orion Connect 2024 Reveal

A recent report from Business Insider claims that Meta’s AR team is working to get its 'Orion' AR glasses ready for a reveal at Connect 2024, typically held in October. The report references two unnamed sources confirmed by Business Insider.

Orion has been in development for nine years, but now there's added pressure internally to ensure the product performs well at Connect. Meta often uses the event to showcase new products like the Quest 3, along with research projects and prototypes. One example is Project Aria, revealed in 2020, which demonstrated a range of sensors used to train AR systems and gauge public reaction to the technology.

It’s unclear if Orion and another project, Nazare, are the same. Meta hinted at Nazare in 2021, describing it as the company’s first true AR glasses. At the time, Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, highlighted the technical challenges involved:

“There’s a lot of technical work to get this form-factor and experience right. We have to fit hologram displays, projectors, batteries, radios, custom silicon chips, cameras, speakers, sensors to map the world around you and more into glasses that are about 5mm thick. So we still have a ways to go with Nazare, but we’re making good progress,” Zuckerberg said.

Speaking to The Verge last year, Meta CTO Andrew ‘Boz’ Bosworth mentioned that the AR glasses are being built on a “prohibitively expensive technology path.”

These glasses are being developed as true AR devices, unlike HUD-based smartglasses like Google Glass or Meta’s mixed reality Quest headsets. While a consumer version of the AR glasses might not be available for several more years, previous reports suggest it could launch as soon as 2027.

AR Glasses to Replace Smartphones

Smart glasses have been a focus for both engineers and sci-fi enthusiasts for years, and now they’re not just a concept—they're becoming part of our everyday tech landscape. Some industry leaders even believe they’ll eventually replace smartphones. Mark Zuckerberg is one of them, predicting that by 2030, smart glasses could take over from smartphones entirely.

This comes as big players like Meta and Google are already rolling out their own versions. Just like other tech trends, we can expect more companies to jump in soon.

What’s the Goal of Smart Glasses?

The main idea behind smart glasses is to eliminate the need for handheld devices like smartphones. Instead, these glasses let you stay hands-free while integrating digital information with your physical world. With AI support, they’re designed to give you real-time data relevant to your situation. In some cases, they can even project holograms directly into your field of vision.

Who’s Leading the Development?

Several companies have tried their hand at smart glasses, but most attempts have been bulky, full of cables, or more like augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) headsets rather than true smart glasses.

Meta's Orion glasses stand out. They build on the earlier Ray-Ban Stories, offering eye and hand tracking, voice controls, and a neural interface that picks up signals from your wrist. They connect to a wireless "puck" that you’ll likely carry in your pocket.

Google has also made attempts. Their first AR glasses launched in 2014 but were pulled from the market multiple times due to privacy concerns, limited functionality, and high costs. While Google’s efforts haven’t panned out yet, Meta’s Orion glasses show more promise, despite facing similar challenges.

The Road Ahead

Zuckerberg has been realistic about the hurdles facing smart glasses. He believes it’ll be closer to 2030 before they gain widespread adoption. Right now, they’re expensive, which limits their reach to wealthier consumers. Plus, people still aren’t used to the idea of replacing their phones with glasses just yet.

Even with the challenges ahead, the evolution of smart glasses seems inevitable—much like we saw with smartphones, self-driving cars, and AI. It may take time, but smart glasses could eventually become the next major shift in personal tech.

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