Facebook Inc announced on Thursday that it is currently developing a wristband that will be able to control the Augmented Reality (AR) glasses that the company is expected to launch sometime this year. According to a blog post, Facebook’s wristband users will be able to interact with the virtual world by way of finger movements.
This AR-ready device will have the capability of detecting nerve signals. This function will enable the device to interpret highly intricate hand movements. With many in the industry believing that wearable tech will eventually replace mobile phones, Facebook now finds itself in a strong position to compete with fierce rivals such as Apple Inc, Amazon.com Inc, and Alphabet Inc’s Google.
While constraints such as battery life and heat generated by processing would mean that smart glasses would have to rely on devices such as smartphones in the near future, Facebook’s wristband would be able to perform some of the vital functions that AR glasses would rely on mobile phones to perform.
In September 2020, Facebook revealed its projection that in five to 10 years’ time, it should be able to launch “true” augmented reality glasses that would enable multiple wearers to interact with shared virtual objects.
