Facebook has partnered with Luxottica to create smart glasses.
The Italian manufacturer Luxottica specializes in eyewear. He owns brands such as Ray-Ban, Oakley and Persol, as well as a number of lesser known brands. The Italian company will take over the design and construction of the smart glasses, while Facebook will handle the electronics. Luxottica has previously partnered with Google to create Google Glass.
The fact that Facebook is working in this direction, it became known from a CNBC report that appeared a few days ago. It was about a project called Orion. Within its framework, a device is being developed that will not be an addition to a smartphone, but will be able to completely replace it. The user will be able to make voice calls, get all the necessary information on the glasses, enjoy all the benefits of augmented reality and watch videos, as well as conduct live broadcasts. Voice commands and a special ring, codenamed Agios, will be used for control.
Orion is a very ambitious project and therefore should not be expected to be implemented soon. It is expected that such a device will appear on the market sometime in 2025. In the meantime, according to The Information, Facebook plans to create a simpler solution, which is being developed in collaboration with Luxottica.
The new project was named Stella. It is expected that the glasses being developed will be noticeably simpler than the Orion. Their main advantage will be the ability to take photos and videos. They will not be able to do without a smartphone. But a couple of years will be enough to create them, and by working on this project, Facebook will be able to assess the interest of users in this device and test various technologies.
Facebook and Luxottica representatives declined to comment. But it can be assumed that work on the glasses is in full swing. So, earlier Business Insider reported on the transfer of hundreds of employees from the research laboratory Facebook Reality Labs to the team of developers of products using augmented reality technology.
