Oh man, so Meta threw a curveball earlier this year, right? They dropped the Aria Gen 2 glasses, a follow-up to their research spectacles. Honestly, they kept it kind of hush-hush at first. But now, they wanna let third-party researchers play with it next year. Sneaky move, maybe?
Meta finally spilled the beans in a blog. These glasses have no display but still are kinda game-changing for future AR tech.
Computer Vision Galore
Here’s the scoop: future AR glasses need to see well—like, robot-level well. Meta’s on it. Aria Gen 2 doubles the CV cameras to four. That’s twice what Gen 1 had. HDR, global shutter, wider view—you name it. Basically, it’s like your eyes plus some.
Imagine this: the glasses running SLAM (not a wrestling move). They showed it doing its thing in a room.
Sensors & Smart Stuff
Now, let’s talk sensors. New ambient light sensor, like it cares if it’s sunny or not. Nosepad mic for noisy places—a bit extra but cool, I guess. Heart rate monitoring? Sure, why not.
The tech inside is beefed up too. Meta tossed in a custom coprocessor that does real-time mumbo jumbo:
- Visual-Inertial Odometry—say what?
- Eye tracking, hand tracking… basically tracks everything.
- Some new radio thing that’s super precise for multi-device stuff.
And Feather-light
Okay, the glasses are light. Really light. 74-76g, which is nothing compared to your chunky eyeglasses. Eight sizes, because, apparently, everyone’s face is special. They even fold up, so you can shove them in your bag.
The battery’s a mystery, which seems sketchy. But there’s a USB-C thing—could be for power, maybe?
Machine Watches Human
Think of it like this: these glasses see the world and your reaction to it. Catching you making coffee, or not. They notice what you look at and even if your heart’s pounding. That’s a lot of data flying around. Kinda wild, right?
What’s Next?
Meta says Aria Gen 2 is just a stepping stone to AR world domination—a future where glasses replace phones. But, don’t hold your breath; it’s not happening tomorrow.
They’re also working on Orion prototype glasses, which kinda tease the future setup but still need a buddy unit for power.
Andrew Bosworth from Meta says an Orion-based thing will pop up before 2030, priced above a new phone, probably.
Oh, and they’ll showcase this tech breakthrough at CVPR 2025 in Nashville. So buckle up for what’s next!
