Meta's Aria Gen 2 Smart Glasses Are Next-Level With Full Eye-Tracking System: Can Apple Catch Up?

Meta is again showing it's playing the long game in the battle for AR supremacy. Facebook's parent firm just revealed Aria Gen 2, its advanced experimental smart glasses, and gave us a look at the future of AI-driven wearables and spatial computing. The XR glasses are not the only wearables coming soon.

Still intended for internal research rather than consumer availability, Aria Gen 2 boasts Meta's quick progress and presents the top challenge to would-be competitors like Apple.

Aria Gen 2 is the Glasses of the Future

Meta's Aria Gen 2 Smart Glasses Are Next-Level With Full

As stated in the blog, Meta's Aria Gen 2 is more than an incremental improvement. For a company that's popular in the social media space, it's a step ahead in wearable tech. As a research tool for augmented reality, robotics, and AI research, this second-generation prototype is loaded with sensors and intelligent features that take smart glasses to new heights.

The highlight feature is a complete eye-tracking system that tracks a broad spectrum of parameters: gaze per eye, blink detection, pupil diameter, corneal center, and more. This rich data tracking facilitates next-generation interaction between humans and digital spaces. This is ideal for creating AR interfaces or training AI models.

Increased Vision, Improved Interaction

Apart from eye tracking, Aria Gen 2 includes a series of computer vision cameras that enable 3D tracking of hands and objects, accurate enough to teach robotic hands. According to The Verge, it's a big bet that indicates Meta is serious about significantly contributing to robotics-aided computing.

In a gesture of wearability and customization, Meta also created the glasses in eight sizes to fit all head shapes and facial contours. The frame folds up now, an improvement from the first version. It's also significantly lighter, enhancing wearability.

Health Monitoring and Audio Innovation

Wellness and audio improvement are also added to Aria Gen 2 by Meta. A PPG heart rate sensor is now integrated into the nosepad like that of a smartwatch. A contact microphone enhances voice pickup in noisy situations, making the device more functional in everyday situations.

Other hardware includes a 12 MP RGB camera, seven spatial microphones, an ambient light sensor, an accelerometer and gyroscope, stereo speakers, and a USB-C port.

Is Apple Secretly Watching Meta's Move?

While Meta keeps on prototyping in public, Apple is said to be secretly working to catch up, but it's not "close to being ready."

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Tim Cook is hell-bent on getting to market ahead of Meta with some kind of revolutionary AR product, potentially within the next year.

But time is running out. Unless Apple speeds up its development schedule, Meta's lead will only grow larger. Although Meta's clunky proofs of concept won't make it onto store shelves, the technology within them is formulating the next generation of wearable computing.