Meta’s new AI glasses are making a big impact on the lives of the visually impaired. A recent report cites various examples of blind people using the glasses and providing positive feedback.
Allison Pomeroy, a 49-year-old from Warsaw, Indiana, recently bought a pair of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, and they’ve reportedly made a difference in her daily life.
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Pomeroy lost most of her vision two years ago. Her husband used to read menus, signs and other text to her, but now the glasses do that for her, according to the report in The Wall Street Journal.
Another satisfied customer, Jonathan Mosen, an executive director at the National Federation of the Blind in Baltimore, who is blind and owns a pair of Meta glasses, wants the tech giant to continue investing in these AI glasses as they have helped him significantly in terms of accessibility.
Meta’s AI-powered smart glasses, launched in September 2023 in collaboration with Ray-Ban, offer a sleek combination of style and cutting-edge technology. These glasses feature a 12 megapixels camera for capturing high-quality photos and videos, along with open-ear audio for calls and music.
Additionally, integration with Meta AI enhances the experience, allowing users to interact with the device via voice commands for tasks like setting reminders or controlling smart home devices.
With popular designs like Wayfarer and Round, the glasses cater to various style preferences. Since their launch, Meta has sold over 2 million units, and they plan to increase production to 10 million annually by 2026.
The smart glasses provide a seamless experience for users looking for hands-free convenience, with the added benefit of computer vision, which makes interaction with the environment more intuitive. Available from multiple retailers, the glasses are a significant step forward in wearable AI technology.
Tech giants are doubling down on smart glasses, aiming to integrate augmented reality (AR) and AI into everyday eyewear. Along with Meta, Apple and Google are also refining their designs, offering hands-free access to notifications, navigation, and real-time translation.
Google, in collaboration with Samsung, is developing Android XR, an extended reality platform expected to launch in 2025. This platform will power devices like Samsung’s Project Moohan headset and Google’s AI-driven smart glasses, which offer real-time translation and contextual information through the Gemini assistant.
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Meanwhile, Apple is reportedly exploring smart glasses featuring built-in cameras, speakers, and microphones, similar to Meta’s Ray-Ban Stories, with potential release by 2027.
While early models faced hurdles with battery life and user adoption, recent advancements in AI and lightweight materials are making the technology more practical. Analysts predict that as prices drop and features improve, smart glasses could become as common as smartphones, reshaping how users interact with the digital world.