Mark Zuckerberg Teases Meta Wristband for Controlling Smart Glasses

pcmag.com:

Mark Zuckerberg met with Italian eyewear maker EssilorLuxottica this week to discuss a smart glasses project using Meta's neural interface wristband.

Introduced last year, the electromyography (EMG) wearable translates finger and hand movements into the digital world. It analyzes electrical signals moving through your arm muscles to understand intent—like whether you're trying to move one finger or make a fist.

"Here [EssilorLuxottica chairman] Leonardo [Del Vecchio] is using a prototype of our neural interface EMG [electromyography] wristband that will eventually let you control your glasses and other devices," Zuckerberg wrote in Facebook post, alongside a photo of himself and Del Vecchio.

Initially developed to detect simple gestures like pinch-and-release or fingers tapping together, the wristband will eventually progress to more advanced controls, allowing users to touch and move virtual objects. The technology is based on the work of CRTL-labs, which Facebook acquired in 2019, and captures bodily signals so clearly it can understand finger motion "of just a millimeter," the company boasted last year.

The same wearable acts as a virtual keyboard, and, over time, will understand users' daily routines, like playing music in the morning or reading the news at night. It also appears slated to control smart glasses like the $299 Ray-Ban Stories—built as part of a multiyear collaboration with EssilorLuxottica, which owns eyewear brands Ray-Ban, Oakley, and LensCrafters.

There is no word on when the technology will be consumer-ready; Zuckerberg's Facebook post teased "eventual" access, but offered no further details.

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