Yahoo Finance Facebook patents Oculus augmented reality glasses
Facebook is working on a pair of augmented reality smartglasses that could superimpose virtual objects onto the real world.
In a recent patent filing, the social network outlined plans for a pair of glasses with a display that is enhanced using a two-dimensional scanner. Different to the company's Oculus virtual reality headset, the augmented reality glasses could let users see and interact with virtual objects layered on top of the real world.
The technology is being developed by Facebook-owned Oculus, responsible for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. The glasses would rival Microsoft's Hololens, the $3,000 headset that went on sale earlier this year, and Snapchat's Spectacles.
Facebook said its smartglasses would project light onto the users eyes using a "waveguide display" that can add images and videos to the users' vision. They could work alongside headphones and games consoles for a more immersive experience.
Facebook is determined to be a major player in the virtual reality sphere. The company recently launched Spaces, a new virtual social network inside the Oculus Rift headset. In the Spaces app, users can interact with other users or post photos or live videos to their Facebook profiles.
Facebook has described Spaces as "a new VR app where you hang out with friends in a fun, interactive virtual environment as if you were in the same room".
The team at Oculus has been ambitiously predicting a surge in popularity for augmented reality smartglasses, with one executive claiming the shift could begin as early as 2022.
Other tech giants, including Apple and Google, are also working on augmented reality technology. Google's Glass headset, released in 2013, was an early attempt at making the technology mainstream. It was thought to have been scrapped but recently returned as a tool for businesses.
Apple is working on augmented reality technology for the iPhone and iPad through its ARKit development platform.
