Meta on Wednesday at its Connect event, CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled Orion, which he described as “the most advanced glasses the world has ever seen.”
Orion glasses are significantly smaller than Snap’s recently released Spectacles 5 and represent a leap into true augmented reality. Featuring compact projectors embedded in the temples, they create a heads-up display reminiscent of a modern version of Google Glass.
Zuckerberg revealed that Orion has been a decade in the making but emphasized that they are still in the early stages of development. “These glasses exist, they are awesome, and they are a glimpse of an exciting future,” he stated during the presentation. He acknowledged that further “fine-tuning” is necessary before Meta can launch them as a consumer product.
In a notable advancement, Orion will be controlled through a “neural interface,” a feature enabled by Meta’s acquisition of CTRL-Labs in 2019. This technology includes a wristband compatible with the glasses, enhancing user interaction.
Meta is positioning Orion as a successor to its current livestream product, the Ray-Ban Meta. While the Ray-Ban Meta introduced a new category of display-less, AI-enhanced eyewear, the XR industry has long sought a true AR solution that combines the advantages of a large holographic display with personalized AI assistance in a comfortable, all-day wearable format. Orion aims to meet that demand.
