Apple Vision Pro headset to have Optic ID biometrics built in

Apple announced its new Optic ID biometrics for the Vision Pro VR headset at its annual developers’ conference. The device uses iris identification, enabling owners to unlock the Vision Pro by putting it on.

Its eye tracking is performed by two infrared cameras and a ring of LEDs in the mask. The Vision Pro uses visionOS. Users can browse app icons by looking at them. It does not share raw iris data or its surroundings with apps, which do not continuously know where the user is looking, 9to5Mac reports.

To mitigate concern that the headset would isolate wearers, Apple projects a 3D image of surroundings on the wearer’s eyes in a way that makes the device look somewhat transparent.

The headset is capable of both augmented and virtual reality.

When in full VR mode, a glowing screen obscures an external projection of the wearer’s eyes, signaling that the person is not available.

It also can project 3D digital objects into real space. For instance, when remotely talking to someone, a person can arrange “video tiles” of FaceTime participants around the room, according to The Verge.

There are 12 cameras, six microphones and five other kinds of sensors in the device.

A TrueDepth camera maps the wearer’s face, just like FaceID biometrics on iPhones. And on the outside, two cameras point ahead, two cameras track a wearer’s hands, and a lidar scanner detects the distance of people and objects.  A flexible headband attaches magnetically to the back of the display.

Also inside: magnets that can hold Zeiss optical lenses for vision correction. It also uses OLED technology to create a 4K display for each eye. There are 44 pixels in the space of a single iPhone pixel.

The headset itself is modular, enabling users to swap parts to achieve the right fit for their face and head. Speakers delivering spatial audio are located on either side of the device.

“Vision Pro feels familiar, yet it’s entirely new. You can see, hear and interact with digital content just like it’s in your physical space, said Apple CEO Tim Cook at the conference, as quoted by Reuters. “It’s the first Apple product you look through, and not at.”

The Apple Vision Pro headset is scheduled to ship early next year, starting at $3,499.

Article Topics

Apple  |  eye tracking  |  iris biometrics  |  Optic ID  |  virtual reality  |  Vision Pro  |  wearables