Meta Files Patent for ‘Social Presence’ Feature Inspired by Apple Vision Pro’s EyeSight

Meta Platforms is working on new technology that could enhance its mixed reality headsets with a feature similar to Apple’s Vision Pro EyeSight. This technology aims to provide users with a “social presence” feature that uses sensors to capture and display facial expressions in real time.

Recently filed with the European Patent Office (EPO) and the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Meta’s patent application, titled ‘Embedded Sensors in Immersive Reality Headsets to Enable Social Presence,’ details how this technology works. The patent describes using sensors, including those for electrocardiograms and electroencephalograms, inside the headset to monitor a user’s facial expressions. These expressions will be mapped and used to control a virtual avatar that reflects the user’s real-time expressions.

The process involves tracking movements in facial muscles with internal sensors and mapping these movements to specific expressions. According to the patent, the headset will then adjust the user’s avatar accordingly and send the updated avatar to an immersive reality application hosted on a remote server. This differs from Apple’s Vision Pro, which displays the user’s expressions on an external screen.

Meta’s technology could lead to more responsive and expressive avatars across its products and services, enhancing virtual interactions. Although the patent doesn’t guarantee immediate implementation, it indicates Meta’s commitment to advancing virtual reality and social presence technology.

By leveraging machine learning, Meta aims to improve the accuracy of facial expression mapping, potentially offering a more immersive and interactive experience for users in the future.