Facebook Teams Up With BMW To Design Smart Glasses Made For Driving With
Image via Facebook Reality Labs
Facebook Reality Labs—“Meta Reality Labs” sounds more sinister, somehow—has been building ‘Project Aria’ for the past few years, which is its iteration of display-free glasses that pack a punch with camera and sensors embedded throughout.
Previously, it was reported that the company planned to release its smart glasses in collaboration with Ray-Ban, before it announced that it had been gathering “first-person” data from volunteers around the world to train AI to monitor our movements and offer helpful advice.
Now, the project has announced a new partnership. This time, it’s with BMW. Yes, the car company. Yes, it’s for the glasses. And yes—it’s for drivers to wear smart glasses while on the road.
Image via Facebook Reality Labs
“We think that AR glasses could eventually help drivers navigate their surroundings,” Facebook writes. This indicates a GPS function, perhaps, with AR enhancements to the road in front of the driver. “Partners like BMW are interested in exploring how AR technology could integrate into tomorrow’s vehicles.”
Disclaimers for the development of the project include the promise that data recorded in public places will have faces and vehicle license numbers blurred to protect privacy, as well as extensive training and testing of the participants to make sure that they only record information where it’s appropriate to do so.
While undoubtedly a technological marvel worth awe, the announcement comes not long after the social network got entangled in numerous user privacy and safety scandals through leaked internal affairs. The timing might not be the best, but would a full corporate rebrand help to sweep these pains under the rug?
[via CNET, all images via Facebook Reality Labs]
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