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Project Aria smartglasses announced during Facebook Connect 2020

One of Facebook Connect 2020's first reveals of the event was the announcement of Project Aria: AR smartglasses with an expected launch in 2021.

TJ Denzer

September 16, 2020 10:21 AM

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As Facebook Connect (formerly Oculus Connect) kicked off with a keynote presentation from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Project Aria was one of the first new announcements from the event. Focused on Augmented Reality (AR) technology, Project Aria will be producing a number of products, including a pair of smartglasses expected to launch sometime in 2021.

The announcement of Project Aria came in Mark Zuckerberg’s keynote opening of Facebook Connect 2020 on September 16, 2020. Hoping to expand the company’s focus on AR technology, one of the first products of Project Aria is a new set of smartglasses expected to launch in 2021. It’s also just the first of a number of technologies and products that Facebook is working on with respect to the AR space and our interaction and utilization of it. Some other technologies introduced during the show introduced EGM wrist straps that would allow for interaction with virtual keyboards, as well as possible applications in neural networking that may aide people with disabilities and physical restrictions.

With Project Aria, Facebook is also hoping to explore concepts such as client-based mapping: a system that will allow users to map environments in real-time with better accuracy and scope than previously available data collection options. With things such as a Logitech virtual keyboard partnership already confirmed for integration into new Oculus Quest applications, as well as the reveal of new Spark AR features including partnerships with New York Times for real-time news, Facebook's focus into AR with the likes of Project Aria is looking intensive for the foreseeable future.

As we await products and features of Facebook’s Project Aria, stay tuned to Shacknews for news and updates regarding the company’s new hefty focus on AR technology.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.