Meta is reportedly working on a unique wearable form factor powered by artificial intelligence (AI). This device, named Camerabuds, will be a pair of earphones with cameras installed at both ends. The cameras are said to pick up information from their surroundings and answer the user’s questions. The report claims that the project is still in its initial stage and the company has not even finalized the design of the device. Furthermore, the engineering team has also expressed several concerns regarding such a wearable device.
According to a report from The Information (via Engadget), Meta is exploring a new wearable device that can identify objects and translate languages using AI. The devices will essentially be a pair of earphones or headphones, but they will have a couple of cameras mounted on the outside in each earbud. These cameras will pick up information that AI will process in real time to answer the wearer’s questions.
The device will use multimodal AI with real-time processing, similar to the company’s Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses (our review). Based on the information shared, it appears that the CameraBuds will be a more portable device with its main focus being two-way communication. It’s unclear whether verbal communication will be lag-free or similar to its AI-powered smart glasses.
Although this is the plan, the report mentions that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is not happy with any of the designs so far, despite seeing several iterations. Furthermore, it is said that the engineering team has also expressed several concerns regarding such a device. Some of the concerns include battery life, heat dissipation, privacy-related issues, challenges around users having long hair, and more.
The report also notes that Meta has a track record of planning large hardware projects and then abruptly shutting them down. For example, it shut down its smart speaker project called Portal in 2022. Earlier, it had also canceled its camera-fitted smartwatch project. However, Meta has had significant success with its smart glasses and is probably looking to double down on it with another similar product. It is worth noting that the company is also investing heavily in AI.
