People familiar with the matter said today that within Apple, employees are discussing giving its MR (mixed reality) headset Vision Pro a more professional use, that is, as a tool to diagnose and treat mental health problems. In June this year, Apple released the long-awaited MR headset Vision Pro, which brought a successful conclusion to more than seven years of development work and also brought Apple into a new computing market.
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But so far, Apple has positioned Vision Pro primarily as a work and entertainment tool. But multiple people familiar with the matter said today that Apple is considering giving it another more professional use, diagnosing and treating mental health problems.
The features will use Vision Pro's cameras and sensors to measure a person's facial expressions to determine whether the user is suffering from depression, anxiety, stress or post-traumatic stress disorder, people familiar with the matter said. One of the people familiar with the matter also said that VisionPro can display images and sounds to help improve the wearer's mood.
Currently, there are regulations that restrict companies from promoting medical features in their devices without regulatory approval. But over time, Apple has obtained some approvals from regulators, such as the Apple Watch’s health functions, including the detection of irregular heart rates, which has also expanded the appeal of the Apple Watch to other areas beyond fashion accessories.
Apple has previously stated that Vision Pro will be available for sale in early 2024 for $3,499.