These new smart glasses can teach people about the world thanks to generative AI
It was only a matter of time before someone added generative AI to an AR headset and startup Brilliant Labs took the plunge with their recently unveiled Frame smart glasses.
Looks like Where’s Waldo glasses (or Where’s Wally for our UK readers), the list houses a multimodal digital assistant called Noa. It consists of multiple AI models from other brands that work together to help users learn about the world around them. These lessons can be taught by simply looking at something and then giving a command. Suppose you want to know more about the nutritional value of a raspberry. Thanks to OpenAI technology, you can instruct Noa to perform a ‘visual analysis’ of the subject. The readout appears on the outer AR lens. Moreover, it can offer real-time language translation through Whisper AI.
The Frame can also search the web through its Perplexity AI model. Search results even offer price tags for potential purchases. In a recent one VentureBeat articleBrilliant Labs claims that Noa can perform instant price checks on clothing by scanning the piece, or request home listings for new homes on the market. All you have to do is view the property in question. It can even generate images on-the-fly via Stable Diffusion, according to ZDNET.
Evolving assistant
Returning to VentureBeat, their report offers a deeper insight into how Noa works.
The digital assistant is always on and continuously absorbs information from its environment. And it will apparently “take on a unique personality” over time. The publication explains that Noa appears as an “egg” on the display when first activated. Owners will have to answer a series of questions, and once they’re done, the egg will hatch into a character avatar whose personality reflects the user. As the Frame is used, Noa analyzes the interactions between the Frame and the user, making it increasingly better at tackling tasks.
An exploded view of the Frame can be found on the official Brilliant Labs website and provides interesting insight into how the technology works. Content on the screen is projected by a micro OLED onto a ‘geometric prism’ in the lens. 9To5Google points out that this is reminiscent of the way Google Glass worked. On the nose bridge, the Frame’s camera is located on a PCBA (printed circuit board assembly).
The batteries are housed in two large hubs at the end of the stems. Brilliant Labs claims the frames last a full day, and to charge them you have to plug in the Mister Power dongle, which inadvertently turns the glasses into a high-tech Groucho Marx knockoff.
Availability
Currently open for pre-order, the Frame will cost you $350 per pair. It will be available in three colors: Smokey Black, Cool Gray and the transparent H20. You can opt for prescription lenses. Doing so will increase the price tag to $448. Chances are Brilliant Labs doesn’t have your exact prescription. They recommend instead selecting the option that closely matches your actual prescription. Shipping is free and the first batch will be rolled out on April 15.
It appears that all AI features have a daily usage limit. Brilliant Labs has plans to launch a subscription service that will remove the limit. We reached out to the company for clarification and asked a few other questions, such as how exactly does the Frame receive input? This story will be updated at a later date.
Until then, check out Ny Breaking’s list of the best VR headsets for 2024.