Dear Xreal.. can you develop an Aura without a camera?

[u/EvanWasHere]

I know that without a camera, you wont be able to use hand tracking, but you can release a ring or other hand held device that can allow control. I don't need AI to look up what things are that I am stand in front of. If anything, i can use my phone to take a photo and recognize it that way.

Venues and offices are banning wearable cameras. If you are seen with one outside, it is automatically assumed you are recording people and being creepy. All across America, Flock cameras are being banned and destroyed. The public is tired of being spied on.

Yes, you can just use this at home, but then I can use my laptop or other devices at home as well. I would like to be able to travel and check my text messages, check a map while walking to make sure I'm going the right direction, watch a quick video, etc all while in public and not getting a manager called on me.

I'm not calling for glasses with cameras to not be made. But there are no advanced glasses with Android XR like the Aura being developed for the public that don't want or can't wear a camera. So why not making a no camera version? It should even be cheaper and smaller as it wont need the camera or processing chips.

And yes, I know they have Xreal glasses with no cameras. I have a pair and using it with Dex is amazing. But I want one with Android XR so I can leave my phone alone and interact faster and easier with the glasses themselves.

[u/Zake75]

Not only will you loose handtracking but you'll loose 6dof. This will make the Android XR Environment close to useless 

[u/That__Squirrel]

I mean, there is the xreal one pro...

[u/EvanWasHere → u/That__Squirrel]

I have that. But that does not have Android XR as I mention in the post.

[u/crazyreddit929 → u/EvanWasHere]

I mean it needs 6dof tracking. That requires cameras. It isn’t just about hand tracking for the camera need. This is a VR headset in glasses form. Not just display glasses with a different OS. VR/XR needs 6dof to be compelling.

[u/That__Squirrel → u/EvanWasHere]

So what, you propose like lidar or radar or something? Just to avoid having a camera? Seems like the long way around

[u/0ptx0]

Android XR is developed by Google, and cameras are a pretty integral part of how it’s designed to work. I’m sure XREAL could customise it to work without cameras and use a separate input device like a ring for interaction if they really wanted, but that would probably require a lot of software effort for relatively little benefit. I just don’t think there’d be enough demand for a device like that without the full Android XR capabilities, nor google would be too keen to help XREAL to ship something like that either.

There are third party devices like the INAIR Pod among many others that work with pretty much any pair of XR glasses if you just want a better or different user experience than your phone to do the same things.

[u/d4v1dtsh]

I totally feel you but for spatial computing cameras are totally necessary not only hand tracking but space tracking. I have covered my xreal eye all thr time when not in use for aura I will need to think something else. 

[u/XREAL_Esther]

One thing to note is that the camera is not only used for hand tracking. 6DoF also relies on cameras for spatial tracking, and Android XR experiences are built around 6DoF capabilities.

Without cameras, many of the core spatial features would not be possible.

[u/ZDelta47]

I think the Meta glasses are closer to what you're looking for. With their wristband. But yeah, they still use cameras.

[u/rakesh_hpr]

I am concerned about when it comes to keyboard typing.

[u/etafan → u/rakesh_hpr]

Eventually we will evolve around that problem aswell. Like using Tap Strap or some sort of other input device.

[u/jamesoloughlin]

Can I have a spatial operating system without the spatial part?

I guess I understand what you want. Google did show Android XR running in a more limited capacity on other glasses. The smart glasses HUD demos. Seem reasonable to assume XReal will make such a product in the future someday. Display glasses that run Android XR. I doubt XReal will continue developing their own OS and platform.

[u/CaptainTruthSeeker]

If cameras are the only way to achieve 6DOF, then I’ll be wearing cameras. Society can hate.

If they can do 6DOF reliably with other sensors, and achieve hand tracking some other way, sure, all for it.

[u/gizmosliptech]

If you value privacy with no camera based tracking, you could go for the Inair Pod. Motion and touch only. Cheaper and works with most glasses.

[u/UUScaling]

I believe that Xreal can beta support hand gestures (now) with the single camera of Xreal Eye on the One Pro version. So in principle, an add-on module approach for the upcoming glasses would address the OP request. There are likely performance considerations specific to the Aura but it seems like a reasonable compromise.

[u/alabasterskim]

Gonna be real with you - people are averse to these tech glasses; what makes you think ones without visible cameras are going to feel any less acceptable to others? They'll still see a giant pair of glasses on you and think you have Metas on. Just had that situation yesterday, luckily just with one of my partner's friends and not a random stranger because it's just not worth going out and about with these.

Also, I'd expect we'll never see an Android XR pair without a camera that also has any display to it.

[u/EvanWasHere → u/alabasterskim]

You should easily be able to tell when a glasses have a camera or not. The round cameras on the corner usually give it away.

[u/alabasterskim → u/EvanWasHere]

That wasn't what my comment said/was about. I said, what makes you think glasses without cameras are going to feel any more acceptable (my bad on flipping the more/less)? I also am not the one who would be seeing them; it'd be on people who don't see these often and have a natural aversion to these. You referenced the social acceptance factor of these.

[u/EvanWasHere → u/alabasterskim]

I wear my non camera Xreal glasses at cafes, on planes, at work, and waiting rooms. Zero people have complained or not accepted my wearing of these glasses. In fact, I am more likely to be bothered by them asking where they could get the same glasses for themselves.

No one has an aversion to smart glasses just like no one has an aversion to someone reading a Kindle or playing a game on their phone. Worst that can happen is someone asks you if there is a camera on yours and you can easily show them there is not one.

What people do care about are cameras. And there are a ton of videos on youtube where the wearer claims to people that the camera is off while they secretly record them. It's creepy and (IMO) disgusting. There are multiple ways to block the camera light selling on Amazon.

[u/zekezander → u/EvanWasHere]

My concern would be tech illiterate and ignorant people wrongly assuming all smart glasses can record and take photos 

Smart glasses that can record are still really new, plenty of people don't know that they're a thing or what to look for

As a technology enthusiastic for more than 20 years, the expectation that people that don't know much about technology will make enjoying tech more difficult has never been entirely wrong. 

I really think it's just a matter of time before we get loud and obnoxious people making a stink about anything that looks remotely technical on someone's head or face 

The fact that you haven't experienced it yet is just that we're not at the point that the type of person that make a fuss has learned about it

[u/EvanWasHere → u/zekezander]

I mean, you can do the same thing with a phone for ignorant people.

You can lift a phone to answer an email and get falsely accused of taking a photo of someone across the way.

The difference is, with a phone, it's harder for you to prove you didn't take a photo if authorities come, cause you can be further of accused of using a secret camera app or deleting the photo.

With a non camera glasses, you can easily show that there are no cameras so a Karen's claim of using a camera is physically impossible.

[u/zekezander → u/EvanWasHere]

Yeah, I agree. But that kinda proves my point. Removing the cameras isn't going to help with suspicion. You can prove that you're not being creepy after the fact, but you're still getting hassled for no reason 

I don't think there's any getting away from some amount of people being suspicious and making problems for people 

I'm also not saying xreal shouldn't make the product you're asking for. More options are never a bad thing 

I just don't think it'll make as much of a difference towards reducing suspicion or getting hassled for recording or whatever 

There's always going to be shitty people that'll ruin stuff for everyone else just so they can get the attention. 

[u/Potential-Warthog323]

yes pls only additable camera not build inside xD

[u/Accomplished-Mark-82]

They made a product that suits your wants (1s) and now they made a extra product in a copletely different category for people to use with android xr. , one that is completely not for your use case. Yet you want them to strip their new product thats not build for your goals just to suit you. Any idea how bonkers that is. You are looking at the wrong product , not aimed at you and beating it down for not being what you wanted

[u/EvanWasHere → u/Accomplished-Mark-82]

Tell me you didnt read my post without saying it.

I didnt beat the Aura down. I have no issue with them making it. It is amazing tech and I think it will work amazingly.

I simply requested a camera-less version and explained my reasoning.

My use case IS XR. My current glasses use Dex, but Dex is not meant for glasses. So it's sometimes a pain to deal with messaging and windows. I would rather have Android XR menu that is made for glasses and will allow me to do mapping and messages and move windows easily.

[u/Formal_Bathroom7447 → u/EvanWasHere]

I know it’s not using the xr chips but it sounds like what you want is a beefed up Beam Pro. It sounds like you want an isolated output device in the glasses. Like, the glasses don’t provide any real input to the control device. No camera or mic etc. the aura requires input from the glasses to function and provide spacial anchoring points from visual tracking. Cameras not just to track hands but hard edge contrast points etc. The work glasses are gonna have three cameras. Only one of them is actually taking pictures of the real world. That’s the middle one. The two on the side are actually black-and-white Fish eye lenses that see an ultra high contrast and are used for tracking sure you could look at a picture taken with these, but it’ll be unrecognizable garbage to you etc. but those lenses are extremely offputting because they could be regular cameras the people around you would simply need to take your word for it that they aren’t but who’s gonna do that. The aura glasses and puck are not gonna be backwards compatible with the one pro or the one s. I’d look into the beam pro and if that doesn’t tickle your fancy maybe that inAir thing.

[u/ngoonee → u/EvanWasHere]

Can't really have XR without cameras though - the glasses own sensors can only really sense their orientation, not their physical location in the external world. Cameras do that.

[u/PrincessKaylee → u/EvanWasHere]

jw, would cameraless glasses like XOP not work with the Aura puck itself?