The most impressive thing is metaOrion’s augmented reality glasses are more about size and comfort than flashy computer graphics.
CNBC senior media and technology correspondent Julia Boorstin was able to use Orion this week at Meta’s annual Connect conference, comparing the prototype to various MetaQuest and Apple Vision Pro virtual reality headsets. I was fascinated by its compact shape.
“What was really impressive to me about these is that they are incredibly lightweight,” Boorstin said.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled Orion Glass on Wednesday, touting it as “a glimpse into a future that I think is pretty exciting.” The glasses have thick, black frames and come with a wireless “puck” that can be used to play apps like holographic games of digital chess and ping pong, which appear to splice digital graphics into the real world. can be run on your device.
The experimental glasses are part of Zuckerberg’s multibillion-dollar bid to build the next generation of personal computing for the so-called Metaverse, a term used by Meta to describe people interacting with each other online in a virtual 3D space. It’s part of the scale plan.
While Orion cannot place users in a completely virtual world, the glasses can overlay digital graphics onto the real world. And unlike VR headsets, which can be cumbersome to wear for long periods of time, Orion glasses are a perfect fit, Boorstin said.
“The form factor didn’t feel much different than wearing regular heavy glasses, and they weren’t uncomfortable to wear,” she says.
The current Orion AR glasses could pass as props in the movie “Revenge of the Nerds,” but they will only get smaller as the technology improves, Boorstin said.
“This is the first generation, but how small will it be in four years?” Boorstin said.
Wearing the AR glasses, Boorstin sees a digital camera inside a small office at Meta’s headquarters that displays visual icons for apps like Instagram and Facebook, as well as additional features like browsers and video games, blending with the surrounding environment. I was able to see the hologram.
Boorstin saw with his own eyes digital icons overlaying real-world environments. This is an improvement over the “pass-through” technology used in current VR devices. With pass-through, companies use cameras on the outside of the headset to show users a digital representation of the real world fused with computer graphics through the device’s screen.
Orion can overlay digital images onto the real world using much more expensive methods. Its lenses are made from a refractive material called silicon carbide, rather than traditional glass or plastic. Orion’s small projector built into the glasses’ arm shined light onto the silicon carbide lenses, allowing users to see a “hologram” in their field of vision, an experience that “felt completely normal and very natural.” Boorstin said.
CNBC’s Julia Boorstin tries out Meta’s new Orion AR glasses on September 25, 2024.
Stephen Desaulniers | CNBC
When the hologram was turned off, “it felt like I was wearing glasses or sunglasses, and it didn’t distract me or make me feel nauseous,” Boorstin said.
Boorstin could use the wristband to open, close and scroll through apps, and she said it felt similar to an old, lightweight Fitbit.
“The wristband can sense your finger and hand movements, so you can keep your hands close to you,” Boorstin said, explaining how her finger movements and gestures manipulated digital icons. explained. “I was amazed at how accurate it was, how it understood my hand movements and captured them accurately.”
In one demonstration, Orion Glass was able to identify different ingredients, including chia seeds, spread out on a table. We then projected the appropriate recipe to be displayed digitally on top of the real-world seeds. In another demo, Boorstin played a simple game of Pong, except the video game graphics were projected onto a real-world desk in front of him.
One demo that really impressed her was when producer Stephen Desaulniers’ face appeared digitally in front of her while he was calling from another room. The overall experience of a 3D video call “felt very distinct” to Boorstin. She noticed that the resolution of the graphics changed depending on where they were placed in the field of view. It was enough to make her wonder if the producers could actually see her in real life, as it looked as if they were right in front of her (they couldn’t).
“I could see him perfectly, but he couldn’t see me,” Boorstin said. “But I could hear his voice. It was like I was FaceTiming him, but he was in my glasses.”
Boorstin said experiencing Orion gave him a better understanding of how Meta’s research and development directly benefits the company’s other products, such as the Quest headset and Ray-Ban smart glasses. he said.
“They’ve worked hard to make these parts very small, efficient and weightless,” she said.

