Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, showcased its first prototype of the augmented reality glasses, “Orion,” along with updates on its virtual reality and artificial intelligence products during its annual Connect conference at its headquarters in California on Wednesday.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed the glasses by pulling a black pair from a metal case on stage, stating, “This is the physical world intertwined with holographic images.” He added, “Currently, I believe the right way to view Orion is as a time machine to the future, which I think will be very exciting.” The “Orion” glasses are made from a magnesium alloy and are powered by chips designed by Meta.
Shifting Towards the Metaverse
Tech giants have been developing augmented reality devices for years, although most attempts have failed, such as Google’s Glass. In 2021, Zuckerberg shifted the focus of the world’s largest social media company towards building “metaverse” systems that blend virtual and augmented realities. However, high development costs and technological hurdles have hindered product delivery.
A source before the conference indicated that Meta aims to deliver its first commercial augmented reality glasses to consumers by 2027, expecting that technological advancements will lower production costs by then.
Zuckerberg demonstrated how the augmented reality glasses could display small windows featuring WhatsApp messages, Messenger texts, video calls, and Instagram Reels, although the presentation provided few details about the glasses’ capabilities.
Users will be able to interact with the glasses through hand tracking—a technology that facilitates interaction in virtual or mixed environments without the need for separate controllers—as well as through voice commands and a neural interface worn on the wrist.
Zuckerberg described “Orion” as “a work in progress,” stating that Meta plans to make it smaller, sleeker, and more affordable for consumers in the future.
AI Assistant Enhancements
Meta also unveiled a range of improvements to its AI assistant software, which has garnered interest for the Ray-Ban smart glasses, allowing users to scan QR codes and play music from Spotify in response to voice commands.
Later this year, the company plans to add video capabilities and instant translation between English, French, Italian, and Spanish.
Additionally, Meta announced new features for its chatbot program similar to ChatGPT, planning to start automatically integrating AI-generated images into Facebook and Instagram posts.
Among the AI updates announced at the conference was an audio upgrade for the digital assistant named “Meta AI,” which will now respond to voice commands.
Zuckerberg noted, “I see voice being a more natural way to interact with AI compared to written text.”
The company revealed that over 400 million people use “Meta AI” monthly.
