Developing Meta's Orion AR Glasses

Developing Meta's Orion AR Glasses

The presentation on "Developing Meta's Orion AR Glasses" by Jinsong Yu discusses the technical and engineering feats achieved in the creation of Meta's advanced augmented reality (AR) glasses, known as Orion. These glasses present an augmented reality experience by overlaying virtual elements onto the real world through transparent lenses.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Terminology:
  • Virtual Reality (VR): Full immersion in a digital environment.
  • Mixed Reality (MR): Blends real world and digital content.
  • Augmented Reality (AR): Overlays virtual objects onto the real environment.
• Product Features:
  • Lightweight glasses with a wide field of view.
  • Uses micro LED projectors located in the temples with custom waveguide technology.
  • Multiple cameras and sensors for eye tracking, EMG (Electromyography), and spatial audio.
  • Incorporates hand tracking and voice commands for user input.
• Technical Innovations:
  • World-lock rendering to integrate virtual objects seamlessly with the real world.
  • High precision control of photon path to user’s eyes using silicon carbide lenses.
  • A system of 11 microcontroller units for distributed computing and heat management.
• Design Challenges:
  • Maintaining device lightweight and thermally efficient.
  • Balancing performance with battery life.
  • Developing new APIs for innovative user interaction.

The presentation emphasizes lessons learned from the project, such as selective ambition in technology development and the importance of testing in managing complexity.

This is the end of the AI-generated content.

Meta announced the Orion AR Glasses in September 2024. It is a time machine to demonstrate that it's possible to build an immersive augmented reality experience in a glasses form-factor. There were numerous technical challenges to make this a reality. This talk will focus on the technical innovations that went into Orion, and lessons learned for building such an ambitious product.