We were able to try out the 5th generation Spectacles glasses to test Snap’s latest advances in augmented reality.
Rhythmically tapping cubes, kicking a ball, drawing freely throughout the room… I was able to try out several augmented reality demos while wearing the fifth generation of Spectacles, the augmented reality glasses designed by Snap .
The demos in question are varied and quite entertaining, but above all they allow us to show a glimpse of the future as the American company imagines it. However, France has a role to play since Snap has opened an AR Studio in Paris. It was precisely by going to the premises of this famous studio that I was able to try on said glasses. The opportunity for the neophyte that I am in terms of AR to discover the potential of this device. So, if they still have several technical limitations, the uses that these glasses suggest are promising.
Please note that these glasses are not available for sale to the general public. They are intended for developers so that they can make them their own and create various use cases, all while being supported by the Snap teams.
Promising glasses in many ways
But let’s get back to my little handling which lasted about half an hour. With the Spectacles firmly established on my nose, there are two positive points that quickly stand out to me and they are quite closely linked:
- the intuitive aspect of the interface;
- the good understanding of the space around me.
Let’s start with the Snap OS interface. There is nothing revolutionary in itself, but it is effective in its simplicity. No matter what app I’m running, I just need to look at the palm of my hand to find some handy options or to go back to the main screen. Something about this gesture is reminiscent of holding a phone, so it doesn’t take long for me to get the hang of it while I’m holding it. It’s stupid, but it works. In addition, to grasp an object, it is generally sufficient to pinch the thumb and index finger. Nothing complex.
Added to this is the second quality that I mentioned: space management. While I am still learning the few movements I need to know to navigate, I feared a gap between what my eyes perceive and the actions my hand gestures trigger. In other words, I was convinced that I would have to reach out my hand to interact with a virtual element that seemed very close. Nay!
One of the first apps I used allows me to draw in the air and walk around the room I’m in. On the one hand, the Spectacles understand well when I want to make a line 10 centimeters from my bust or one meter.
On the other hand, the lines I drew stayed perfectly in place in the real world, right where I drew them even after I moved to the other side of the room. This is enabled by a quick but precise scan of the room by the cameras integrated into the Spectacles.
The same goes for the rhythm game which invites me to tap on cubes thrown towards me. I don’t have haptic feedback since I have bare hands, but the good responsiveness allows for excellent immersion in the game. Same thing for the little football game where I have to aim at targets by kicking a virtual ball with my foot. Here again, I obviously have no sensation in my foot, however the fact of seeing the ball react properly to the power I apply also contributes to the immersion.
I was also able to create small 3D stickers using AI by speaking my prompts orally (in English). And these stickers could very easily be manipulated to be moved or enlarged by hand.
Improvements still needed
Concerning the limitations, we can cite the still quite massive size of the glasses which cannot yet pretend to go unnoticed on your face. The weight of 226 grams is not a problem, however. The promise of 45 minutes of continuous use could also possibly frustrate some. For my part, the main fault that I note concerns the field of vision limited to 46 degrees.
This doesn’t mean that I can’t see anything to the sides while wearing the Spectacles, but that the augmented reality effects in front of me disappear as soon as I turn my head. I don’t see them in the periphery of my vision. For the famous experience where I was drawing, it’s a little disturbing and frustrating.
So, the areas for improvement are quite clear. Snap is already very well advanced in terms of interactions and interface, but still needs to make progress in terms of glasses design and field of vision.
Snapchat and augmented reality
Note that the AR projects designed by Snap for its Shows are also found through several filters that can be used in the Snapchat application. To show the extent of its capabilities, the firm enters into various partnerships. With the Louvre in particular to highlight the collection of the Department of Egyptian Antiquities. AR experiences have also emerged for the years of the album Random Access Memories Daft Punk or International Women’s Day on March 8, to name just a few examples.
Finally, in recent weeks, 5th generation Spectacles glasses have started to be delivered to developers based in Europe, including France. They must pay a subscription of 110 euros per month with a 12-month commitment.
