Facebook announces its first smart AR glasses and sets a launch date

 

Facebook revealed today, Wednesday, a partnership with Luxottica - one of the world's largest eyeglasses and manufacturer of Ray-Ban glasses - to launch its first smart glasses in 2021.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a live broadcast of the Facebook Connect event that took place online to announce virtual reality and augmented reality products: “After spending time with their team and visiting their factory, I realized that they are the right partner for us to help bring the best technology with best glasses ”.

Under the partnership between Facebook and Luxotica - which was launched by CNBC last year - the two companies will manufacture the glasses as part of their multi-year partnership.

“I can't go into full product details at the moment, but it really is the next step on the road to augmented reality glasses,” Zuckerberg said. "The glasses look really good too," he added.

Zuckerberg also announced that the company plans to launch Project Aria, a research device the company will use to learn while developing its smart consumer glasses.

Facebook's chief of devices, Andrew Bosworth, said: Project Aria glasses will be worn by Facebook employees and contractors all over the company's headquarters and in public places starting this September. He added that the glasses do not contain augmented reality features and are not for sale. The glasses will capture video, audio, eye tracking and location data that Facebook can use to help develop smart augmented reality glasses.

 

"It's a research device that will help us understand how to build the software and hardware needed for realistic augmented reality glasses," Bosworth said. He explained that employees wearing Project Aria glasses will undergo training on when and where to wear the search devices.

He said: The sensitive places, such as: bathrooms; will be banned. Before the data collected is used for research, Bosworth said any sensitive details, such as people's faces or vehicle license plates, will be removed. In addition, these workers will have clothing that makes it easy to recognize them as employees of Facebook.