Meta Unveils AR Glasses Prototype (theverge.com) 18
Meta unveiled prototype AR glasses codenamed Orion on Wednesday, featuring a 70-degree field of view, Micro LED projectors, and silicon carbide lenses that beam graphics directly into the wearer's eyes. In an interview with The Verge, CEO Mark Zuckerberg demonstrated the device's capabilities, including ingredient recognition, holographic gaming, and video calling, controlled by a neural wristband that interprets hand gestures through electromyography.
Despite technological advances, Meta has shelved Orion's commercial release, citing manufacturing complexities and costs reaching $10,000 per unit, primarily due to difficulties in producing the silicon carbide lenses. The company now aims to launch a refined, more affordable version in coming years, with executives hinting at a price comparable to high-end smartphones and laptops.
Zuckerberg views AR glasses as critical to Meta's future, potentially freeing the company from its reliance on smartphone platforms controlled by Apple and Google. The push into AR hardware comes as tech giants and startups intensify competition in the space, with Apple launching Vision Pro and Google partnering with Magic Leap and Samsung on headset development.
Despite technological advances, Meta has shelved Orion's commercial release, citing manufacturing complexities and costs reaching $10,000 per unit, primarily due to difficulties in producing the silicon carbide lenses. The company now aims to launch a refined, more affordable version in coming years, with executives hinting at a price comparable to high-end smartphones and laptops.
Zuckerberg views AR glasses as critical to Meta's future, potentially freeing the company from its reliance on smartphone platforms controlled by Apple and Google. The push into AR hardware comes as tech giants and startups intensify competition in the space, with Apple launching Vision Pro and Google partnering with Magic Leap and Samsung on headset development.
beam graphics directly into the wearer's eyes (Score:4, Insightful)
that sounds ominous.
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I'd certainly NOT be the first one in line to test this product out....my eyes are bad enough due to nature, haha.
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https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0... [imdb.com]
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Re: beam graphics directly into the wearer's eyes (Score:2)
How does a reflective pane help? If it's not reflective enough to let the device harm you if it would have directly then it's not reflective enough to function either.
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with light sources that wouldn't be strong enough to harm you directly
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Sing it!
"Blinded by the light
Revved up by the douche, another Zuck-up in the night...
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that sounds ominous.
President Skroob: I don't know about this beaming stuff? Is it safe?
Commanderette Zircon: Oh yes, sir. Snotty beamed me twice last night. It was wonderful.
Oh, Ok Then (Score:2)
Yeah, let's pin our company's future on betting on people buying droves of $10K specialty devices instead of the already-established common (pocket-carryable) $300 - $1K devices.
You know what? Let 'em. I hope that company disappears and is never heard from again.
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Yes, this, too, will fail. An initial rush will find it as wanting as other AR releases. Tim Cook will snicker. A thousand more coders will be laid off.
Meta was about AR. Their "AI" progresses. Neither will make them much money, despite trying to grow cash cows.
Oh boy, no one here has a clue (Score:3)
Seriously, I read your comments in here, and I saw the presentation - obviously no one here did, so let me explain the tech for you:
They have done something vastly different from most AR glasses, they use refractive glasses that has small mirrors in it (cut into the glass, thousands of them) with miniature projectors that beams the light into the refractive surfaces (the small cut out mirrors).
You can imagine this as a sort of "reflex" structure, the same one you wear in the dark. It's almost a bit similar to DLR projectors, but each mirror-chip will project onto its own refractive surface recepient inside the glasses themselves (nothing will be projected into your eyes, don't worry!).
This will def. change the way we use AR forever, it's actually a clever design.
cyborg future (Score:2)
Are you a wannabe cyborg? Then we've got just the thing for you, get ready for all of the strange reactions from others that you can handle.
Oh brother (Score:2)
When are these tech bro asshats going to give up on AR? The amount of money wasted on this shit is criminal.
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It's their money and they can do what they want with it. Just like you can not spend your money on this.
AR's the way (Score:3)
The lure of augmented senses is strong. The problem is privacy, because you can't do much augmenting without environmental sensors (primarily cameras, but also microphones and maybe other things too). Those sensors are useless without a database and a processor. And inevitably there will be long term storage.
So I really, really want glasses that remind me of who I just ran into might be, and jog my memory about things I might want to discuss with them. On the other hand, I want to be the only one with such technology, because there's nobody else I trust with it.
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I'd be happy with a much simpler device. A monochrome display, generated by my phone, and long battery life. No cameras, no accelerometers, no orientation sensors.
Just show me some occasional info in my eyeline, when navigating or following instructions. Maybe some weather alert notifications, or just the name of who is calling/messaging so I can decide if I want to ignore them.
It's the same deal as smart watches. I much prefer a much simpler fitness band with a two week battery life and just the key featur