What Are The Features Of Meta’s New Orion Glasses And Will These Smartglasses Aid Blind People?

Meta’s new Orion glasses feature a cutting-edge silicon-carbide display architecture, replacing traditional glass to project holograms at varying depths and sizes over the real world. The glasses will be equipped with AI voice assistance, hand-tracking, eye-tracking, and a wrist-based neural interface that allows users to control functions using brain signals.

In addition to app integrations with Spotify and Amazon Music, Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses will introduce an AI-powered memory aid feature. The glasses will also offer multi-modal video AI to provide real-time assistance, such as suggesting party outfits on the go. These features are expected to be released in the coming months.

All About Meta’s New Orion Glasses

At Meta Connect 2024, Meta introduced Orion, its first true augmented reality (AR) glasses, marking a significant step in the company’s AR development. Unlike previous smart glasses, Orion merges real-world visuals with digital elements through advanced AR capabilities. These glasses are equipped with various sensors, spatial mapping technology, and a transparent display, allowing digital content to be seamlessly overlaid onto the user’s physical surroundings.

Meta describes Orion as a major advancement toward spatial computing and the metaverse, offering users an immersive, hands-free AR experience that blends real and virtual environments. Users can position 2D and 3D content within their physical space using large holographic displays. The glasses’ AI is designed to understand the environment and predict user needs, providing a smooth experience. Meta also emphasizes that the glasses are lightweight and versatile, suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, enabling face-to-face connection, even remotely.

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Orion incorporates an input system that combines voice commands, eye-tracking, and hand gestures, allowing users to remain engaged with the world and those around them. Although not yet available to the public, Meta sees Orion as a glimpse into the future of social interaction.

Meta’s AI assistant, Meta AI, is integrated into Orion and can recognize real-world objects to provide helpful visual insights. For example, users can ask for recipe ideas by scanning the contents of their refrigerator or video call friends while managing a digital family calendar. Orion also enables hands-free video calls and message viewing on platforms like WhatsApp and Messenger.

Will Meta’s New Orion Glasses Aid Blind People?

Meta is also collaborating with the app Be My Eyes to assist visually impaired individuals. The smart glasses will use POV video calling to show volunteers what the user sees and provide real-time assistance with tasks, such as adjusting household items or reading mail, as described by Meta.

Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the Orion prototype, calling it the most advanced smart glasses ever created.