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Welcome to Aria Research Kit

Aria Research Kit (ARK) is a comprehensive development platform for the Aria Gen 2 glasses, designed to empower researchers and developers to build cutting-edge applications in egocentric AI, contextual AI, robotics, spatial computing, and human-computer interaction. ARK provides everything you need to capture, process, and analyze data from Aria's advanced sensor suite.

Workflow Overview​

Setup Device → Companion App → Install SDK → Authenticate → Record → Process with MPS
                                                                ↘ Stream (real-time)

New here? Start with the Quick Start guide to go from setup to your first recording or stream.

What is Aria Gen 2?​

Aria Gen 2 is a state-of-the-art research device featuring an advanced sensor suite that includes:

  • Four computer vision (CV) cameras with wide field of view and HDR imaging
  • RGB point-of-view (POV) camera for high-resolution egocentric vision
  • On-device VIO for real-time 3D tracking and mapping
  • On-device Eye tracking system for precise gaze estimation and attention modeling
  • On-device 21-keypoint hand tracking for articulated hand pose estimation
  • Spatial and contact microphones for high-fidelity audio capture
  • IMU, barometer, magnetometer, and GNSS for accurate localization and motion tracking
  • Ambient Light Sensor (ALS) with UV channel for indoor/outdoor context awareness
  • PPG sensor for heart rate monitoring

See Hardware Specifications for more details.

What You Can Do with ARK​

🎮 Control Your Device​

Use the Client SDK to programmatically control Aria Gen 2 devices:

  • Start and stop recordings
  • Stream sensor data in real-time
  • Access on-device machine perception outputs (VIO, hand tracking, eye gaze)
  • Configure recording profiles for different research applications
  • Automate device workflows with Python scripts or CLI tools

📱 Mobile Companion App​

Pair your device with the Companion App to:

  • Configure and manage your Aria Gen 2 glasses
  • Start recordings with a simple interface
  • Monitor device status and battery life
  • Manage recordings from your phone

🔍 On-Device Machine Perception​

Run real-time algorithms directly on Aria Gen 2:

  • Visual Inertial Odometry (VIO) at 10Hz (and 800Hz high-frequency output)
  • Eye gaze tracking at up to 90Hz with pupil diameter and vergence depth
  • Hand tracking at 30Hz with 21 joint landmarks per hand

🧠 Machine Perception Services (MPS)​

Leverage cloud-based processing to generate rich outputs from your recordings:

  • 3D trajectory and semi-dense point cloud
  • Hand tracking

All optimized for all-day wearability with energy-efficient hardware acceleration.

🛠️ Data Validation & Visualization​

Use the comprehensive toolset to:

  • Validate recording quality with Data Validation Tools
  • Visualize sensor data streams
  • Export data in standard formats
  • Build custom analysis pipelines

Getting Started​

Choose your path based on your role and objectives:

For Developers​

Start with the Client SDK to control your device programmatically. Install the Python SDK, authenticate your device, and begin streaming or recording data within minutes. Or jump straight to the Quick Start.

For Researchers​

Explore the Device Manual to understand the hardware capabilities and sensor specifications. Learn about recording profiles and on-device machine perception in the On-Device Machine Perception guide.

For First-Time Users​

Begin with the Companion App for a simple way to set up and use your Aria Gen 2 glasses. Then explore the Client SDK when you're ready for more advanced control.

For Data Scientists​

Check out Machine Perception Services (MPS) to learn how to process your recordings and generate rich perception signals for your research datasets.

Need Help?​

Visit the Support & Troubleshooting page for troubleshooting guides, FAQs, and contact information.

For AI Agents​

This section provides a structured summary of the Aria Research Kit for AI coding assistants.

SDK package: projectaria-client-sdk (install via pip install projectaria-client-sdk)

Primary CLI tool: aria_gen2 with subcommands: device, auth, recording, streaming

Key workflows:

  • Install: pip install projectaria-client-sdk → aria_doctor
  • Authenticate: aria_gen2 auth pair → approve in Companion App → aria_gen2 auth check
  • Record: aria_gen2 recording start --profile profile8 → aria_gen2 recording stop → aria_gen2 recording download -u <uuid>
  • Stream (USB): aria_gen2 streaming start → aria_streaming_viewer --real-time --interpolate
  • Stream (WiFi): aria_gen2 streaming start --interface wifi_sta --batch-period-ms 200

Python SDK module: import aria.sdk_gen2 as sdk_gen2

Key documentation pages:

TopicPath
Quick Start/ark/quick-start
Installation/ark/client-sdk/start
Authentication/ark/client-sdk/authentication
Recording/ark/client-sdk/recording
Streaming/ark/client-sdk/streaming
CLI Reference/ark/client-sdk/cli-reference
Python SDK Examples/ark/client-sdk/python-sdk/python-interface
Troubleshooting/ark/support/sdk

Ready to dive in? Start with the Quick Start guide or pick a section from the navigation menu.