Mark Zuckerberg reveals Meta's Orion AR glasses prototype
Introduction
During its annual Connect conference, Meta's Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg introduced Orion, the company's first working prototype of augmented reality (AR) glasses. This innovative device features a new display architecture comprising tiny projectors within the arms of the glasses that project light into advanced wave guides. These wave guides contain nanoscale 3D structures etched into the lenses, allowing the glasses to generate holograms at various depths and sizes in the user's environment.
Users will have the ability to interact with the Orion glasses using a combination of hand tracking, voice commands, and a wrist-based neural interface. Zuckerberg expressed the company's intent to make Orion smaller, sleeker, and more affordable before it reaches consumers. He described AR technology as a sort of magnum opus for Meta since the company's pivot towards developing immersive metaverse systems in 2021.
However, the journey to deliver these products has been fraught with challenges, particularly high development costs and technological hurdles. According to recent disclosures, Meta's metaverse unit, Reality Labs, incurred a loss of $ 8.3 billion in the first half of this year and lost $ 16 billion the previous year.
In addition to the AR glasses, Meta announced new capabilities for its AI chatbot. The updated meta AI will respond to voice commands and offer users the option to have the assistant emulate the voices of celebrities like Judi Dench, John Cena, and Awkwafina. The company aims to add video generation capabilities and real-time language translation later this year, marking an expanded functionality for its AI offerings.
Keyword
- Mark Zuckerberg
- Meta
- Orion
- AR glasses
- Prototype
- Display architecture
- Nanoscale 3D structures
- Holograms
- Hand tracking
- Voice commands
- Neural interface
- Reality Labs
- Development costs
- AI chatbot
FAQ
What is Orion?
Orion is Meta's first working prototype of augmented reality glasses, unveiled by CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
How do the Orion glasses work?
The glasses use tiny projectors that shoot light into wave guides with nanoscale 3D structures, allowing for the creation of holograms at various depths and sizes.
What types of interaction does Orion support?
Users can interact with Orion through hand tracking, voice commands, and a wrist-based neural interface.
Will Orion be available to consumers soon?
Zuckerberg indicated that Meta plans to make Orion smaller, sleeker, and more affordable before its release to consumers.
What challenges has Meta faced in developing the AR glasses?
Meta has faced high development costs and technological hurdles, resulting in significant financial losses within its metaverse unit, Reality Labs.
What new features have been announced for Meta's AI chatbot?
New features for Meta's AI chatbot include the ability to respond to voice commands, emulate celebrity voices, and plans for video generation and real-time language translation.