In a recent report from CNBC, it says that the “sources familiar with the matter” know that Facebook and Ray-Ban parent company, Luxottica, are working together to produce smart AR glasses. In a codenamed project Stella, the glasses will be able to record the world through the glasses and listen to voice assistance. In another project named Orion, the teams are targeting a weight of 70 grams or less before it gets any real shipping considerations.
CNBC says that the reason for the partnership is to find a solution to the weight problems. If they cant find a solution, it is unlikely this product would ever release. That would take a major hit on the AR industry, as the world is expecting Oculus to be major players in the AR world going forward. Just a couple months ago, Oculus said that they have an augmented reality product to show at the OC6 event in September, and that it will be a new era for VR and AR going forward. If Oculus and Facebook are unable to show a product worth buying in AR, then this event might be a total fumble.
According to earlie reports, Orion will be able to take calls, listen to your voice with assistance, and even display information on the lenses in front of your eyes. As for an input device, the two companies are testing out a wearable. They have been rumors of rings and bracelets, but it seems like the two companies are leaning towards a ring, as that is the most minimal but effective way to interact with your glasses. This likely means that you won’t be pressing any buttons on the glasses themselves, as that would add unneeded weight and eye touching.
If Oculus is able to find a way to cut the weight on the glasses, they will likely be released. If that is the case, don’t expect a release anytime soon. As these things often do, it will take a few years to even finish the idea. From there, it will be taking a couple years to finish the hard product itself and get in the hands of the masses. It is unlikely that we see even a glimpse of these next week at OC6, but we have seen crazier things.
This doesn’t match up with earlier reports though, as Oculus is on record saying that an AR product was “out of research, now that we are closer to shipping”. This may have been a completely different project that they are working on for this fall release, as that seems like the most likely scenario. If there is a product to be released this fall, don’t expect it to be groundbreaking. If the product is a start of an era in VR and AR, (as Oculus said the Quest was the end of an era in VR), then we can expect this powerhouse company to take it slow right out of the gate.
Look at the Quest for example. The technology was there for the headset years before it was released, but there wasn’t a real market for it yet. They first had to take the Rift to new heights and make sure the market was ready for a wireless version of it. With AR glasses, it is likely Oculus takes the same route. If they released an all-powerful piece of eyewear this year, it is unlikely that the sales would reflect the product. They need to have a strong foundation of augmented reality, and that is what they seem to be doing. For more Oculus updates and VR news, make sure to check back at VRGear.com.
