During Meta Connect, Meta unveiled some exciting updates for its Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, but the real head-turner was the reveal of a prototype for a future product: fully holographic AR glasses. After nearly a decade of development, CEO Mark Zuckerberg proudly presented his team’s first fully functional prototype, aptly named ‘Orion.’
Described as ‘the most advanced glasses the world has ever seen,’ the Orion frames are remarkably close to resembling a normal pair of glasses, a feat that eludes many current smart glasses. For those who prefer bolder eyewear styles, the Orion frames are not overly bulky, but Meta plans to refine the design to make them even ‘smaller and more fashionable’ before hitting the market.
The team behind Orion prioritized creating glasses first and foremost. This meant ditching bulky headsets and wires, achieving a weight of less than 100 grams, ensuring a wide field of view, and equipping the glasses with holographic displays that are both sharp and bright enough for various lighting conditions.
Adding to the impressive feat of engineering, the wearer must be able to see through the glasses while others can see their eyes through the lenses. The display doesn’t rely on passthrough technology; instead, users see the real world with holograms overlaid on top. These holograms could take the form of a cinematic screen, a desktop window for work, a game, a small app window for messaging, or even a holographic version of someone on a call.
The display isn’t made of glass, but of silicon carbide. Tiny projectors in the arms of the glasses project light into waveguides with nano-scale 3D structures etched into the lenses, effectively refracting light and placing holograms of different depths and sizes in front of the wearer. The frames are made of magnesium, a lightweight material that helps dissipate heat without the need for a fan.
Zuckerberg confirmed the presence of a battery in the arms of the glasses and mentioned a ‘small puck’ used for power support. Interaction with the glasses utilizes AI powered by voice, hand-tracking, eye-tracking, and a wrist-based neural interface. The visuals showcased a small wrist accessory used to make hand gestures, and Zuckerberg mentioned the ability to ‘send a signal from your brain to the device’ when other methods are inconvenient. While this neural interface feature is still shrouded in mystery, it hints at a future where our thoughts could directly control our devices.
Despite the impressive progress, Zuckerberg acknowledged there are still refinements to be made. These include sharpening the display system, refining the design, and optimizing the manufacturing process to make the glasses more affordable. In the meantime, the prototype will serve as a development kit, primarily for internal use but also with select external partners, to build out software experiences.
While the journey to a consumer-ready product is ongoing, there is hope that these holographic AR glasses will become a reality in the coming years. The Orion prototype represents a significant step towards a future where the digital and physical worlds seamlessly blend, opening up a world of possibilities for how we interact with technology and each other.
