Meta has launched the latest edition of its research-focused headset, combining AI and AR. With the Aria Gen 2 smart glasses, the social media giant aims to facilitate industry and academia researchers studying machine perception, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics. The foundation project was laid by the original Project Aria glasses, which were introduced in 2020. The new updated version incorporates significant hardware and software enhancements to facilitate more sophisticated research endeavours.
The Aria Gen 2 is equipped with an upgraded sensor suite that includes an RGB camera, six degrees of freedom simultaneous localisation and mapping (6DOF SLAM) cameras for spatial tracking, eye-tracking cameras, spatial microphones, inertial measurement units (IMUs), a barometer, a magnetometer, and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) capabilities for precise location tracking. These new upgrades will help in compiling and processing large datasets from the user’s perspective, supporting advancements in egocentric research and augmented reality applications.
Another noteworthy addition to this new version of the smart glasses is the photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor embedded in the nosepad, which will allow users to track heart rate in real-time, which is a rare feature found in existing smart glasses. The latest integration will open new pathways for health-related research and user wellness applications.
Meta has developed a custom energy-efficient chip that activates on-device functionalities such as SLAM (simultaneous localisation and mapping). In simple words, the SLAM tech will help the device in tracking eye and hand movements along with speech recognition without relying on cloud processing, which will help in processing such extensive data collected from the device’s sensors. With this tweak in smart glasses, faster data processing is ensured without compromising user privacy because of minimised data transmission.
Meanwhile, Aria Gen 2 has other features like open-ear speakers to provide audio output for applications like navigation assistance. An additional microphone is included to separate the user’s voice from other surrounding sounds, which will improve the accuracy of voice-activated functions and speech recognition systems.
Since its inception, Project Aria has empowered researchers globally to push the boundaries of machine perception and AI. The introduction of Aria Gen 2 is expected to further accelerate progress in these fields by offering a more robust and versatile research tool.
Edited By- Pronoy Shukla
