Meta’s new AR glasses for research can measure heart rate

Meta has unveiled the next generation of its Project Aria augmented reality glasses for research: Aria Gen 2.

Aria Gen 2, which arrives roughly five years after the first-generation Aria device, adds new capabilities to the platform, including an upgraded sensor suite and Meta’s custom silicon. Aria Gen 2 has a PPG sensor for measuring heart rate and a contact microphone to distinguish the wearer’s voice from that of bystanders.

Meta says that the 75-gram Aria Gen 2, which can perform AI tasks like eye tracking, hand tracking, and speech recognition, packs open-ear “force-canceling” speakers and a battery that lasts up to eight hours on a charge.

Meta plans to make the glasses available to academic and commercial research labs in the coming months. One early tester, Envision, is piloting Aria Gen 2 to create solutions for people who are blind or have low vision, Meta said in a blog post.