MENLO PARK, California, September 25, 2024 – In a series of announcements, Meta Platforms (META.O) has unveiled its very first prototype of augmented reality (AR) glasses, named Orion. During its annual Connect conference on Wednesday, Zukerberg took to the stage revealing Orion’s capabilities and Meta’s ambition to merge the virtual and physical worlds.
"This is the physical world with holograms overlaid on it," said Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg as he introduced the prototype on stage. While removing the piece of sleek AR tech from the case, Zuckerberg described the device as a "time machine" that transports users into an exciting future.
Meta's Orion AR glasses use a magnesium alloy to keep them light and run on Meta's own custom chips. Users can control digital content with their hands, voice, or special wristbands that read nerve signals. Currently, Meta is working on several improvements to make the glasses smaller, better-looking, and cheaper. They plan to sell them to the public in 2027.
Big Tech companies have explored AR for a long time, but earlier attempts like Google Glass didn't catch on. Meta started pushing into AR tech when it turned towards the metaverse in 2021. This initiative however ran into several challenges such as high costs to develop and technical roadblocks. Still, Zuckerberg stays optimistic. He sees AR as crucial to open up new ways for us to interact with digital info in our everyday lives.
"Meta's mission is to make AR as accessible and integrated into our lives as smartphones are today," said Paolo Pescatore, an analyst at PP Foresight. "But skepticism remains, especially around AI, which needs broader acceptance and trust."
Meta has plans to ship Orion glasses in 2027. They expect tech improvements to cut down production costs and improve its performance. At the conference, a promo video showed what Orion can do. It displayed digital messages and images in real-time. As Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang tried out the device, he suggested a collaborative effort to bridge different technologies and push AR forward.
Today, AR is a rapidly developing technology driving transformation across various sectors. Sanket Prabhu, Head of Edge Tech at Ciklum, commented on AR's versatility, stating, “Whether its retail, healthcare, manufacturing, or commercial, AR is redefining how industries operate. In retail for example, it has emerged as a disruptive technology, enhancing customer experiences through virtual try-ons. In healthcare, it’s used for complex surgeries with real-time data overlays. While AR is still evolving, the potential it promises is absolutely limitless.”
During the conference, Meta also shared key updates around changes to its AI chatbot and a new Quest mixed-reality headset, further enhancing how people can interact and use digital content. Another key insight was on upgrades to Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, which now include powerful AI features capable of translating languages on the spot and scanning QR codes. MMA fighter Brandon Moreno took to the stage to demonstrate the language tool which successfully translated English to Spanish.
Meta has made significant investments into AR and AI. From its AR tech to new models of Meta AI capable of mimicking and personalizing voices of celebrities such as John Cena and Judi Dench. With over 400 million engagements each month, the adoption of Meta AI’s digital tools keeps on increasing.
However, these investments have done a significant number on Meta’s innovation budget. In a report from Meta’s Reality Labs, responsible for metaverse-related projects, the company suffered losses of $8.3 billion in the first half of this year alone.
But even with those headwinds, Meta's determined to revolutionize the digital world. By bringing AR and AI into everyday life, Meta not only aims to predict the future, but build it.