"Meta will launch its next-generation virtual and augmented reality glasses by the end of 2022.” With these words, Mark Zuckerberg recently announced on Facebook the new high-end virtual reality headset that the American company intends to sell, likely in the fall, and which "will provide a first glimpse into mixed reality on our next visor, whose codename is Project Cambria."
The prototype has been defined as "The World Beyond," and it has been conceived to allow users to merge physical reality with the virtual.
Initial news of this new model emerged at the Meta Connect conference, held in October 2021. At that time, we learned that it is a high-end mixed reality visor, in which the lenses present a significant innovation compared to other glasses, as they feature cameras facing outwards that capture the real world and enable color transfer experiences. Together with depth sensors, they will be able to combine digital spaces and objects with the real world, as shown in the presentation video, where Zuckerberg interacts with virtual elements using his hands.
The visor also features eye and facial tracking so that the avatar can make eye contact with the interlocutor or reproduce the real expressions of the user’s face. Furthermore, navigation will be possible via optical tracking, without the need for controls, which will optimize performance by focusing only on what the eyes are looking at at any given moment.
Furthermore, software Project Cambria is Standalone, meaning it has its own virtual reality operating system without the need for a computer or mobile device, just like the Quest. Additionally, and as in previous occasions, the operating system is based on Android to ensure compatibility with other instruments, applications, and services. Meta has indicated that the price of these mixed reality glasses will be high, likely above $800. The reason is that unlike other models such as the Oculus Quest, the Cambria model will primarily be aimed at professional use as a work tool, and even to replace a computer. And, of course, they will serve as.
hardware for interacting in the future metaverse of the brand. Therefore, this new device is intended to be an innovation compared to all previous glasses developed by Meta. But they will not be the only ones, as the company expects to launch three other models of virtual headsets in the coming years.
It is undeniable that 2022 will be a turning point in the development of glasses that, for the first time, is clearly focused on their use in a metaverse that is beginning to take its first steps.
It is clear that 2022 will be a pivotal year for the development of glasses, marking the first clear focus on their use within a metaverse that is beginning to emerge.