Meta (formerly Facebook) is working to move as many users out of the real world as possible and into metaverse, full of avatars.
On the way to the metaverse, how to let users have a real sensory experience in it is an important direction of Meta.
Recently, Meta released a patent for an electronic bionic eye called "Two-axis rotatable mechanical eyeball".
When it comes to bionic eyes, everyone should be familiar with it, although in recent years such studies have emerged in an endless stream, but most of what people know is used to help visually impaired people restore their vision.
In 2018, a team of scientists from the University of Minnesota System in the United States used the principles of 3D printing technology to invent a bionic eye with human retina function, which transports information to retinal cells through electrical pulses, bringing the visually impaired people the opportunity to "see the light again".
Not long ago, a research team from the University of Sydney's School of Biomedical Engineering unveiled a bionic eye called "PHONIX99", which can restore vision in people with retinal degeneration.
Unlike these bionic eye studies, the Meta-Biomimetic Eye will be assembled as parts of some sort of "animatronic device" and used to precisely track human eye movements.
According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the electronic bionic eye patent was filed on June 11, 2019, but was not approved until December 7, 2021.
Figure | Meta's Electronic Bionic Eye Patent Document (Source: USPTO)
Meta describes in the patent, "This electronic bionic eye is not just a metal ball moving on the axis, but is also designed to resemble the human eye, with a structure of pupils and colored iris." ”
It is worth mentioning that the additional aesthetic possibilities described in this electronic bionic eye patent far exceed the robots that Meta has previously demonstrated and patented.
Often, an eye without a head is difficult to accept by most people. However, the patent states that Meta's electronic bionic eye will be fabricated to be connected to the head of the electronic robot to make the observer believe that it is real and credible.
Figure | Meta's electronic bionic eye structure (Source: USPTO)
Moreover, the patent describes that the electronic robot head will be covered in a mold similar to human skin and will be able to mimic human movements, such as the movements of the mouth and eyebrows.
In addition, the electronic bionic eye will be equipped with sensors in order to truly perceive the world. The researchers will also continuously train and improve it through machine learning algorithms and map the data obtained from tracking human eye movements to the electronic bionic eye.
Regarding the use of the electronic bionic eye patent, Meta said, "We will not talk about the specific coverage of this patent and the reasons for filing a patent. In general, patents do not necessarily cover the use of our products and services. ”
Still, the public is curious to see how Meta will use the electronic bionic eye to build its AR/VR applications, as the popular Oculus headset demonstrates, so that 3D images and experiences can be rendered faster in the metaverse.
Figure | Oculus headset (Source: Meta)
In addition, the electronic bionic eye can also be applied to digital advertising, helping to determine the level of interest in the advertisement. By tracking where the eye is focused on the screen and how long it stays on the image, it can help tell if a person is watching an advertisement while the screen is scrolling.
In fact, this is not meta's first study to allow robots to have human-like sensory systems.
As Yann LeCun, Meta's chief AI scientist, puts it, "Robotics is now a way to study AI, and Meta is making extensive use of AI." ”
Previously, Meta designed a new touch sensor and worked with researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) to develop a touch-sensitive robotic skin called "ReSkin".
ReSkin has a rubber-like surface embedded in magnetic particles and is only 2 to 3 mm thick. Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Meta, commented that it brings humans closer to real virtual objects and physical interactions in the metaverse.
In this regard, Yang Likun said, "This is the goal that artificial intelligence researchers are trying to achieve." Perception, reasoning, planning, and action form a complete closed loop, which is constantly circulating, and finally gets feedback from the environment. ”
Not long ago, Meta also launched the 7-year-old haptic project "Pneumatic Haptic Glove", which allows users to experience the real touch when manipulating virtual things in the metaverse.
It is reported that this glove can reproduce the rich and subtle touch of pressure, texture and vibration, so that the glove wearer can feel the effect of virtual things with his hands, and can also transmit the captured hand movements to the computer quickly and accurately.
From the Oculus headset to the touch-sensing robotic skin ReSkin to the electronic bionic eye, Meta now has the ability to enable users to achieve the three sensory experiences of sight, hearing, and touch in the metaverse.
In the future, Meta will also bring breakthroughs and innovations in which aspects of the metaverse, let's wait and see.
-End-
reference:
https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-patents-animatronic-eyeball-robot-head-resembling-human-skin-meta-2022-1
https://gizmodo.com/facebook-patented-a-mechanical-eyeball-1848360492
https://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=%22Two-axis+rotatable+mechanical+eyeball%22&OS=