Following the company’s promise of more virtual assistant tools for the product range at last year’s Connect event, Meta recently disclosed new artificial intelligence (AI) features for its smart glasses product, which Meta built using Ray-Ban frames, according to a New York Times story. The new prototype features seem to be a response to Meta’s actions in forming a relationship with LG to create HMDs driven by AI, which is a very appropriate sequence of events.
Voice connection was previously available for Ray Ban Stories users to access features like chat services and the ability to record photos and videos. But the most recent experimental features—which Meta is only giving developers early access to—include brand-new innovations in the way that they integrate consumer AI use cases into the developing product. Select developers can access the AI functionalities; a wider deployment is scheduled for next month.
Reportedly, Meta’s smartglasses will incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) to comprehend the user’s environment and recognize objects, people, and languages. The New York Times published an article on how the glasses could determine the nutritional value of a food item. Alternatively, the glasses are designed to translate a user’s surrounding spatial data into helpful augmented information.nstructional cooking guidelines.
Information on artwork, buildings, and landmarks are among the other elements that are emphasized. Users can respond to the AI support to obtain further details. Notably, the Ray-Ban Stories product continues the long-standing practice of translating written languages with smart eyewear.
Those interested in augmented reality can buy the Ray-Ban Meta smart spectacles. They include open-ear headphones, an integrated camera, and fashionable eyeglasses starting at $299. They don’t have many AR or MR features, but they do let you talk and record videos while on the go.
A 12MP ultra-wide portrait camera, 1080px video resolution, live streaming for up to 30 minutes, 32GB of storage for photos and videos, 133 grams of weight, specially designed speakers, five microphones with immersive audio recording, Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, IPX4 water resistance, and 36 hours of battery life (with the case) are some of the basic specifications of the glasses.
Meta to Power XR Devices with AI
With all upcoming sails promoting Meta, the upcoming AI features appear to be Meta’s final attempt at the former Oculus branding. By the end of the month, Meta will delete all Oculus accounts and associated information.
Users will no longer be able to log into their XR devices using an Oculus account, and by the end of March, all data associated with that account will be destroyed, according to changes made to Meta’s Oculus account system. These modifications will go into effect today, March 29, at Meta.
Users who remove their Oculus accounts are unable to use Meta Quests with their accounts without reactivating means for retrieving data from the accounts. Nonetheless, users of Oculus accounts can still move their data to the Meta website.
The relocation is a part of Meta’s plan to offer more enterprise XR services. Businesses can leverage a framework of XR hardware, software, and management tools to assist corporate end-users in utilizing the immersive portfolio of the company by using the Meta Quest for Business service. By removing the need for sign-in, the corporate solution from Meta has added premium features that streamline the onboarding process for end customers.
In an effort to start a strategic alliance between LG and Meta’s technological portfolios, Park Hyoung-sei, President of the Home Entertainment Company, and Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, met with William Cho, CEO of LG, to discuss possible joint ventures on XR devices.
By integrating LG’s TV division services with Meta’s XR portfolio, the alliance seeks to foster innovation in XR devices and customer experiences. In order to create a competitive XR gadget, LG intends to combine the advantages of Meta’s AI technologies with the capabilities of its smart device OS. App revenue alone makes LG’s smart OS worth about $750.5 million at the moment. This might grow to be a significant source of revenue and services for Meta’s XR device ecosystem.
AI and Meta: The Long Haul
Those who have been closely following Meta should be surprised by its latest integration of AI smartglasses. Meta is striving to establish itself as a pioneer in AI solutions for a range of use cases, in part through initiatives like its developed service ecosystem.
Meta also did not hold back when it came to XR and its desire to see the two technologies combined. Jenniffer Hom, Head of Hardware Partnerships at Meta, stated towards the end of the previous year:
Hugo Swart, the vice president and general manager of Qualcomm’s XR division, also stated at the event that the company is actively addressing the “full spectrum of realities” that give rise to emerging spatial computing, ranging from “augmented reality, where virtual objects overlay on your world through thinner, lighter glasses, to mixed reality, where you experience immersive content while being able to see and merge your physical space using video see-through.”
Significant XR Collaborations to Increase AI Integration
Earlier in the year, Qualcomm unveiled the XR2+ Gen 2 chipset, showcasing the technology’s potential to power immersive devices with AI optimization. Qualcomm is collaborating with Google and Samsung to create an XR headgear.
The Fusionists’ founder and speaker, Jay Latta, mentioned in a recent interview that the cost of XR developments is rising. Vendors and end users must commit more money and time as new technologies are developed. The XR sector is no different; it entails investments and dangers. As many companies establish alliances to manage the hurdles of investing in XR technology, LG recently collaborated with Meta, and Qualcomm is working with Samsung and Google.
A lot of the big tech companies that have recently joined the XR device market have experience switching from smartphones to XR devices. The XR industry, however, isn’t limited to headsets; end devices that use spatial data include robotics, computer monitors, automated vehicles, and smartphones. In other words, any gear that converts spatial XR data into an end-user experience or solution is considered an end device.
Could AI Increase Adoption of XR?
A crucial component of numerous enterprise-facing XR AI solutions in different forms, and the potential impact of such big tech companies joining the XR market with AI-ready gear might be enormous. As enhanced AI tools coexist with XR solutions, increased accessibility could result in a wider uptake.
NVIDIA demonstrated at GTC how AI can improve its virtual collaboration tools, Omiverse and Maxine. When massive language models were released, “the pipelines were simplified to a huge degree – This is a technology that’s here now, and everybody can use it,” said Greg Jones, Director of XR Global Business Development at NVIDIA and Product Manager for the Maxine Developer Platform.
Jones noted that by utilizing voice commands and massive language models, AI-powered Omniverse services can improve accessibility to tools like Vred. This implies that modifying the AR rendering of a product, like the BAC automobile, is possible for a user without requiring a detailed understanding of the complex VRed UI and processes. Put otherwise, the user does not have to utilize a mouse or touch screen to engage with the interface—voice instructions can be used instead.
Jones provides an example that goes beyond collaboration capabilities akin to the Omniverse. The Meta/Ray-Ban product demonstrates how AI-powered hand and eye tracking combined with voice-powered help tools can improve accessibility and comprehension of XR gadget usage while reducing the need for complicated controllers and user interfaces.
AI develops novel XR devices outside of headgear, like 3D monitors that shift an RT3D image in accordance with the user’s actual position by eye tracking.
AI has broad mass market appeal and is here to stay. The deployment of the technologies is hindered by XR’s more stringent path and numerous obstacles. But it seems like XR will ride the success of AI’s coattails, and business executives are aware of this.
