Hands-on with the prototype of Meta's Orion augmented reality smart glasses

The most impressive aspect of deadOrion's augmented reality glasses are more about size and comfort than flashy computer graphics.

Julia Boorstin, senior media and technology correspondent at CNBC, was able to use the Orion this week at Meta's annual Connect conference, and was impressed by the prototype's compact form compared to the Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro virtual reality headsets.

“What was amazing to me about these things is that they were incredibly lightweight,” Burstein said.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the Orion glasses on Wednesday, calling them “a glimpse into a future that I think will be very exciting.” The glasses have a thick, black frame and come with a wireless “tweak” that allows the device to run applications such as a 3D game of digital chess or ping-pong that appear as digital graphics spliced ​​into the real world.

The experimental glasses are part of Zuckerberg's multibillion-dollar plans to build the next generation of personal computing for the so-called metaverse, a term Meta uses to describe people interacting with each other online in 3D virtual spaces.

While Orion is unable to put users into entirely virtual worlds, the glasses can overlay digital graphics onto the real world. Unlike virtual reality headsets, which can be cumbersome to wear for long periods, Burstein said she found the Orion goggles to be a good fit.

“The form factor wasn't significantly different from wearing a heavy, regular pair of glasses, and they weren't comfortable to wear,” she said.

Although the current incarnation of the Orion AR glasses could serve as a prop for the movie “Revenge of the Nerds,” Borstein said she believes they will get smaller as the technology improves.

“This is the first generation. Four years from now, how much smaller will they be?” Borstein said.

When wearing augmented reality glasses, Boorstin was able to see digital 3D images displaying visual icons for apps like Instagram, Facebook, and some add-ons like a browser and a video game blended into the surroundings inside a small office at Meta's headquarters.

Boorstin saw those digital icons superimposed on top of her real-life surroundings with her own eyes. This is an improvement over the “pass-through” techniques used by current VR devices. To get through, companies use cameras on the outside of their headsets to show users a digital representation of the real world mixed with computer graphics through their device screens.

Orion is able to overlay digital images onto the real world using a much more expensive method. Its lenses are not made of traditional glass or plastic but of a refractive material called silicon carbide. When Orion's mini-projectors, built into the arms of the glasses, shine light onto the silicon carbide lenses, users can see “3D images” in their field of vision, an experience that Burstein said “felt completely natural, very natural.”

When the holograms were turned off, “it felt like you were wearing glasses or sunglasses, and it wasn't distracting or nauseating,” Burstein said.

Boorstin was able to open and close apps and scroll through them with the help of the wristband, which she said looked similar to an old Fitbit and was lightweight.

“The wristband can sense your finger and hand movements, so your hand can be right next to you,” Burstein said, describing how her finger movements and gestures manipulated digital icons. “I was surprised that it was so accurate and that I was able to detect these hand movements, and I picked them up accurately.”

In one demonstration, the Orion glasses were able to identify different food ingredients, such as chia seeds, that were spread out on a table. I then showed a suitable recipe that appeared digitally over the real world seeds. In another demo, Boorstin played a simple game of backgammon, except that the video game graphics were displayed on a real desk in front of her.

One demo that really impressed her was seeing her producer Stephen DeSaulnier's face appear digitally in front of her as he called from another room. The overall 3D video call experience was “very clear” for Borstein, who noted that the resolution of the drawing would change depending on where she placed it within her field of view. It was enough to scare her into questioning whether or not the producer could actually see her in real life because it looked like he was right there in front of her (he couldn't).

“I could see him perfectly, and he couldn't see me,” Burstein said. “But I could hear him, and it was like I was FaceTiming him, but he was in my glasses.”

Through Orion's experience, Burstein said she has a better sense of how Meta's R&D can directly benefit the company's other products, like the Quest headphones and Ray-Ban smart glasses.

“They worked hard to make these ingredients small, compact, effective and weightless,” she said.