Meta Introduces Aria Gen 2 Glasses Featuring Heart Rate Monitoring

Meta revealed its new Aria Gen 2 glasses this Thursday. These smart glasses are designed to advance research in multiple areas, including robotics, machine perception, and AI technologies.

According to Meta, the new device features enhancements that could help researchers improve AI systems and gain a better understanding of human perspective.

“Aria Gen 2 glasses add a new set of capabilities to the Aria platform,” wrote the company on its blog. “They include a number of advances not found on any other device available today, and access to these breakthrough technologies will enable researchers to push the boundaries of what’s possible.”

Compared to Aria Gen 1—introduced in 2020 as part of Facebook Reality Labs Research’s open Project Aria for AI and AR research—the new model includes upgraded sensors, extended time use, audio feedback, and lower power requirements.

Aria Gen 2 includes two new sensors in the nosepad that the previous version didn’t: one to measure heart rate and a contact microphone to differentiate the wearer’s voice from other speakers.

The hardware will maintain also features used in the previous generation—but enhanced—such as a high-quality camera, spatial microphones, eye tracking sensors, and a barometer.

Meta highlighted the progress and research already made by other companies and labs using Aria glasses. Researchers at Georgia Tech have used them to advance humanoid robot research for human assistance, BMW has integrated virtual and augmented reality into smart vehicles, and Envision has developed solutions for people who are blind or have low vision.

The tech giant expects to make the hardware commercially available for academic and research purposes in the upcoming months.

In September 2024, Meta introduced its first AR glasses prototype named Orion, powered by AI technology. Other tech companies such as Snap, Samsung, and Google have also been developing smart glasses and announcing new updates in the past few months.