Smart glasses: Meta opens up to developers
Developers can register to gain access to a toolkit for Meta's smart glasses.
Man wears RBM.
(Image: Meta)
It's a step toward proprietary hardware and an app ecosystem. Meta will offer a Wearables Device Access Toolkit for developers in the future. This means they can use it to create apps that can then utilize Meta's vision and audio capabilities in the glasses.
"Given the success we've had with this form factor, we want to provide a platform where you, as a developer, can build experiences that extend the capabilities of AI glasses for users of your mobile applications," Meta writes in its blog post. Given that Meta has had to comply with Apple and Google's specifications with its successful services Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, this step seems like a kind of liberation for Meta. Finally, it has its own ecosystem and its own specifications for other providers. Of course, this already exists around Quest, but it does not contribute to economic success in the same way as platform services.
The Meta Wearables Device Access Toolkit, as it is somewhat awkwardly named, will initially be available as a preview towards the end of the year. It also appears that the full range of functions of the smart glasses will not yet be available with it. The blog post states: "Our first version of the toolkit provides access to a range of sensors in the device, allowing mobile apps to be developed that take advantage of the hands-free capabilities of AI glasses." As an example, Meta says you could design "POV experiences" that use the glasses' camera – POV stands for Point of View and is often used as an addition in social networks when someone says something from a first-person perspective. In future, it will be possible to access the camera with the toolkit.
"Hands-free information gathering and communication" should also be possible. This probably means access to the microphones and audio output.
Disney and Twitch are already testing Meta's toolkit
However, everything will only be available as a beta version for the time being – and thus only be tried out in a test environment. After sufficient testing, Meta will decide which developers are actually allowed to publish what. Meta will provide the SDK, documentation, and test environment.
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Twitch and Disney are apparently allowed to test in advance. In the future, creators will be able to stream live on Twitch via Meta glasses. Disney is working on a prototype that will allow visitors to Disney parks to receive information and entertainment via AI glasses, according to another blog post on the Connect Virtual Reality Keynote. Two years ago, Disney CEO Bob Chapek talked about using Disney+ viewing habits to offer personalized experiences in the park.
(emw)
