Apple AR Headset to Feature Advanced Hand Gesture & Object Detection

Rumors are widely spreading about Apple’s upcoming AR/VR headset which will be announced sometime in 2022. Reports according to Apple analyst Ming-chi Kuo, which discusses details of the product say that this mixed reality headset will make use of 3D sensors with advanced hand gesture detection. In an investor note spotted by a news source, Kuo disclosed that Apple’s AR/VR headset will become with 3D sensors, these sensors are said to be more advanced than the ones that make up the iPhone and iPad for Face ID. The analyst also disclosed that Apple’s headset is expected to have an innovative gesture and motion detection system.

The new headset is said will specifically have four sets of 3D sensors which are of higher quality and specifications as compared to the iPhone which has just one. The more sensors the new devices possesses will give room for it to capture gestures and detect objects more accurately than the current TrueDepth camera, which is also known for detecting motion – as seen in features like Animoji. Kuo sees the quality of this human-machine user interface as the key to the success of Apple’s upcoming AR headset.

One of the features of Apple’s mixed reality headset enabled by such sensors is the detection of movements made by the hands to control the interface. Kuo describes the ability of the headset to detect both hand gestures and movements to provide the user with an immersive experience where the user could open their hand to let go of a virtual balloon. Kuo says “We predict that the structured light of the AR/MR headset can detect not only the position change of the user or other people’s hand and object in front of the user’s eyes but also the dynamic detail change of the hand (just like the iPhone’s Face ID/ structured light/ Animoji can detect user’s dynamic expression change). Capturing the details of hand movement can provide a more intuitive and vivid human-machine UI (for example, detecting the user’s hand from a clenched fist to open and the balloon in hand flying away).”

Analyst Ming-chi Kuo believes that the 3D sensors built into Apple’s new headset will create an increased field of view (FOV). With this, objects about 200% further away can be easily detected than the current Face ID sensors. In addition to the detection abilities, rumors say the headset will have more sophisticated abilities like eye tracking, iris recognition, voice control, skin detection, facial expression detection, and spatial detection.

Kuo also suggests that more AR/VR devices by Apple are in the works, as he mentions “Apple’s metaverse hardware devices.” Kuo also expects Apple’s new headset to weigh in at around 300-400 grams (~0.66-0.88lbs), a “significantly lighter” second-generation model with an updated battery system and faster processor is said to be planned for 2024. The analyst reveals that Apple is expected to launch its first-generation AR-focused device in 2022 and sell about three million units by 2023, he further reveals that the device will not be requiring a paired iPhone to work.