Meta has unveiled Orion – its first pair of AR (augmented reality) glasses – the result of more than five years of research and development.
Meta has also launched a more affordable version of the Meta Quest – the Quest 3S – a more affordable high resolution full colour mixed reality headset.
Orion is a product prototype which will be accessible only for Meta employees and selected users outside the company to allow the development team to work towards creating the consumer version of the AR glasses in the near future.
They were unveiled at the Meta Connect 2024 event by Mark Zuckerberg who described the product as the most challenging consumer electronics device produced since the smartphone.
Meta says it has the most advanced AR display ever assembled onboard along with custom silicon which would enable powerful AR experiences to run on a pair of lightweight glasses using a fraction of the power.
Orion is designed to offer digital experiences that are not limited to the limits of your smartphone display.
It can offer large holographic displays and as well as 2D and 3D content and place them in the physical world around you.
The glasses will also integrate contextual AI which will be able to sense and recognise people and objects around you.
And it’s all housed in a lightweight pair of glasses that can be used indoors and out and still make it possible for others to see your eyes face and expressions.
The Orion input system is a mixture of voice, AI and hand tracking with a wristband that acts as the interface to enable swiping, clicks and scrolling even when your arm is by your side.
Meta says previously the only way you could enjoy immersive experiences was with bulky headsets while glasses that can be used every day lacked a large display and the required compute power.
Now that experience has been miniaturised and delivered into a pair of lightweight glasses.
Inside each lens is a holographic display with a 70-degree field of view – the largest field of view in the smallest AR glasses form factor to date – which makes it possible to multitask using several windows, enjoy entertainment on a big screen and see life size holograms of people.
And all this digital content blends into the physical world around you.
The lenses are made from silicon carbide which are lightweight and have properties to provide the large field of view.
While the glasses still look thick, they are closer to a regular pair of glasses than a bulky headset would ever be,
All the components are packed inside with fraction of a millimetre accuracy and they still found enough room to embed seven tiny cameras and sensors in the frames.
Orion also comes with a wireless compute puck -a small device that can allow for a smaller form factor and at the same time take some of the computing load off the glasses and allow for a longer battery life.
It looks about the size of a TV remote control and would need to be carried in your pocket or bag.
The puck has dual processors to provide the power needed to render graphics and power the AI.
Orion will run meta AI and understand what you’re looking at and what’s around you in the physical world.
Users will be able to enjoy hands free video calls and stay connected on WhatsApp and messenger.
Meta says it is not rushing to ship the product to customers but is instead taking the time to refine and improve the product.
But the company is confident they will be able to produce an even better product soon.
The Meta Quest 3S is powered by the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 platform which was developed in close partnership with Qualcomm Technologies.
Quest 3S offers hand tracking for easier interaction but also comes with the touch plus controllers for a more precise interface.
The meta quest 3S will be priced from $499.99 with pre-orders starting today AT and on sale date of October 15.