Imagine smart glasses that truly belong to you - not Google, not Apple, not Meta. Just you.
Kāraṇa OS is a complete operating system for smart glasses with 180,000+ lines of code and 2,225+ automated tests. It's designed to give you full control over your data and experience.
Think of it like this:
- Siri/Alexa/Google = Your data goes to their servers, they control everything
- Kāraṇa = Everything stays on your glasses, you own your data
| Category | Features |
|---|---|
| AI | Voice recognition, intent understanding, natural conversations |
| AR | Spatial anchors, persistent tabs, hand tracking, gaze control |
| Security | Biometric auth (iris, voice, face), encryption, secure storage |
| Blockchain | Digital wallet, signed transactions, decentralized identity |
| System | OTA updates, crash recovery, diagnostics, power management |
Your glasses automatically adapt to battery level and temperature:
- Battery at 18%? → Switches to power-saving mode automatically
- Getting too hot? → Reduces AI processing to prevent overheating
- Low memory? → Minimizes background tasks
Example: Low battery triggers "Light mode" - only essential features stay active, letting you use the glasses for hours even on 5% battery.
Use mainstream apps you already know:
- YouTube: "Hey, play latest Veritasium" → Opens video in spatial AR
- WhatsApp: "Hey, call Sarah" → Voice call with E2E encryption
- Google Maps: "Hey, navigate to coffee shop" → AR directions on ground
- Spotify: "Hey, play my workout playlist" → Music in background
15 popular apps work out-of-the-box with voice control and AR enhancements!
Your data, your rules - with smart defaults:
- Auto-Delete: Messages disappear after 30 days unless you save them
- Ephemeral Mode: Zero-trace browsing - nothing saved, nothing tracked
- Permission Tracking: See exactly when apps use camera/mic/location
- Privacy Zones: At home = relaxed, in public = paranoid
Example: Walk into Starbucks → Glasses detect "Public" zone → Auto-enable ephemeral mode → All browsing disappears when you leave.
Run GPT-4 level models by pooling nearby devices:
- Your phone's GPU + laptop's CPU + friend's device = One powerful AI
- No cloud needed - everything stays local
- Automatic coordination - just works
Example: "Hey, explain quantum computing in detail" → System automatically splits the 70B parameter model across 4 nearby devices, delivering PhD-level explanations in real-time.
Never worry about crashes:
- Minimal Mode: If everything fails, you still have HUD, voice, and wallet
- Circuit Breakers: Failing components auto-disable to protect the rest
- Auto-Recovery: System tries multiple recovery strategies before giving up
Example: Camera driver crashes → System detects failure → Falls back to voice-only mode → Attempts recovery in background → Restores camera when fixed.
80% easier for non-technical users:
- "Hey, message Mom" (instead of opening app → finding contact → typing)
- "Hey, navigate home" (system remembers your home address)
- "Hey, set timer 5 minutes" (natural language, no menus)
Smart defaults learn your patterns - after a few weeks, the glasses anticipate what you need.
You: "Hey Karana, what's my balance?"
Just like talking to Siri, but smarter. Kāraṇa listens for its name ("Hey Karana") and then pays attention to what you say next.
Your glasses use the Oracle AI system that:
- Converts your voice to text (using Whisper)
- Parses your intent (using 50+ smart patterns)
- Maps to actual tools ("open camera" → launch_app tool)
- Executes real actions (camera actually launches!)
- No internet needed - everything happens on your glasses in ~180ms!
Example Flow:
You say: "open camera"
↓
Oracle parses: OracleIntent::OpenApp("camera")
↓
Tool Bridge maps: launch_app("camera")
↓
Tool executes: Camera application launches ✅
↓
You see: "Camera launched" + app opens
Here's what makes Kāraṇa special: instead of accounts and passwords, you have a digital wallet built into your glasses.
- Your identity = A secret code only you know (24 words, like a super-password)
- Your money = Digital tokens called KARA
- Your actions = Signed with your personal digital signature (like signing a check, but unforgeable)
┌─────────────────────┐
│ ✓ Your Balance │
│ 1,000 KARA tokens │
└─────────────────────┘
A little box appears in your vision showing the answer. Simple!
| You Say | Kāraṇa Does | Tool Used |
|---|---|---|
| "open camera" | Launches camera app | launch_app |
| "Send 50 KARA to alice" | Transfers funds to wallet | wallet (transfer) |
| "check my balance" | Shows wallet balance | wallet (check) |
| "navigate to San Francisco" | Starts GPS navigation | navigate |
| "take note buy milk" | Creates task/reminder | create_task |
| "play jazz music" | Launches music player | launch_app (music) |
| "search the web" | Opens browser | launch_app (browser) |
| "play cats video" | Opens video player | launch_app (video) |
How it works: Oracle parses natural language → Maps to tool → Executes real action → Returns result in ~180ms!
| Gesture | Action |
|---|---|
| Pinch | Select/confirm |
| Grab | Move AR objects |
| Push | Dismiss notifications |
| Swipe | Scroll through content |
| Point | Aim cursor |
| Thumbs Up | Quick confirm |
| Wave | Cancel/go back |
| Gaze Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Look at button for 500ms | Click/select |
| Look left/right quickly | Navigate between tabs |
| Look up | Open quick menu |
| Look at notification | Expand details |
The glasses have a camera that can:
- Take photos and videos
- Recognize objects ("That's a coffee cup")
- Identify people (if they're in your contacts)
- Read text and translate it
- Understand scenes ("You're in a restaurant")
No phone needed! Your glasses can:
- Store digital money (KARA tokens)
- Send payments just by speaking
- Keep track of your spending
- All secured by unbreakable math (cryptography)
You actually get a say in how Kāraṇa works:
- Propose new features
- Vote on changes
- Your vote is proportional to your stake
- True digital democracy!
Pin content anywhere in the real world:
- Leave a browser tab floating by your desk
- Video playing in the kitchen while you cook
- Notes pinned to your office whiteboard
- They stay there even when you leave and come back!
| Other Smart Devices | Kāraṇa |
|---|---|
| Your voice goes to company servers | Voice processed on your glasses |
| Companies can read your messages | Only you can decrypt your data |
| "Delete my data" = maybe, eventually | Your data, your control, always |
| Account can be banned/locked | Your wallet is yours forever |
With regular apps:
- Company creates account for you
- They can lock you out anytime
- Password resets go through them
- Your identity lives on their servers
With Kāraṇa:
- You create your own identity (24 secret words)
- Nobody can lock you out
- Lost glasses? Get new ones, restore from your words
- Your identity lives in your head, not on a server
Kāraṇa's Oracle AI is context-aware and executes actual system actions:
You: "open camera"
Oracle: Parses intent → Executes tool → Camera launches ✅
You: "check balance"
Oracle: Queries wallet → Returns: "1,000 KARA" ✅
You: "navigate to coffee shop"
Oracle: Starts GPS → AR arrows appear on ground ✅
You: "take note buy groceries"
Oracle: Creates task → Saved to blockchain ✅
The Oracle system:
- 50+ Intent Patterns: Understands transfers, apps, navigation, tasks, media
- 5 Core Tools: launch_app, navigate, wallet, create_task, search
- ~180ms Response Time: Intent parsing + tool execution
- No Cloud Required: Everything runs locally on your glasses
- Real Actions: Not just text responses - actual app launches, wallet transfers, GPS routing
- WebSocket Updates: Real-time UI updates for all actions
Technical Details:
- Voice → Oracle.process() → tool_bridge.execute_intent() → ToolRegistry → Action
- Graceful fallbacks if tools unavailable
- Execution logs:
[API] ✓ Tool executed: Camera application launched
Kāraṇa includes enterprise-grade security:
| Feature | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Iris Recognition | Unlock with your eyes |
| Voice Print | Recognize your voice pattern |
| Face Detection | Know when you're wearing the glasses |
| AES-256 Encryption | Military-grade data protection |
| Secure Enclave | Hardware-protected secrets |
| Role-Based Access | Control who can do what |
OTA (Over-The-Air) updates keep your glasses secure:
- Automatic downloads when on WiFi
- Atomic installation - never half-updated
- Automatic rollback if update fails
- Version history - can go back anytime
Kāraṇa cares about your wellbeing:
- Eye strain monitoring - reminds you to take breaks
- Posture tracking - gentle reminders to sit up straight
- Usage analytics - see how you use your glasses
- Blue light adjustment - easier on your eyes at night
No WiFi? No problem!
- Voice recognition works offline
- Camera works offline
- Wallet works offline
- Timer works offline
- AR tabs stay where you left them
Sync when you're ready, not when they say.
When you first set up Kāraṇa, you get 24 random words. Like:
1. apple 7. ocean 13. brave 19. piano
2. tiger 8. chair 14. cloud 20. river
3. green 9. music 15. dance 21. storm
4. happy 10. bread 16. eagle 22. trust
5. light 11. frost 17. flame 23. unity
6. north 12. grape 18. house 24. voice
These words ARE your identity.
- Write them down on paper (not on a computer!)
- Store somewhere safe (like a safe or safety deposit box)
- Never share them with anyone
- Lose your glasses? Buy new ones, enter words, you're back!
It's like a password, but:
- You can't forget it (it's written down safely)
- Nobody can reset it
- It's mathematically unguessable (more combinations than atoms in the universe)
You: "Hey Karana, pay 25 tokens"
Glasses: "Confirm payment of 25 KARA to CoffeeShop?"
You: "Yes"
Glasses: "✓ Payment complete"
No phone, no card, no touching anything.
You: "Navigate to the train station"
Glasses: [Shows AR arrows on the ground pointing the way]
[Distance countdown in corner]
"Turn right in 50 meters"
You: [Looking at foreign sign]
You: "What does this say?"
Glasses: [Translates and overlays text in your language]
You: [See someone approaching]
Glasses: [Quietly] "That's David Chen, met at conference last month"
[Shows: Software Engineer at TechCorp]
Only if David has shared his info with you, of course!
You: [Looking at menu]
You: "What's good here?"
Glasses: "Based on your preferences, try the pasta.
Note: The salad has nuts - you're allergic."
You: [In meeting room]
You: "Take notes on this meeting"
Glasses: [AR notepad appears, transcribing speech]
[After meeting] "Summary: 3 action items assigned to you"
You: [See floating AR browser tab]
[Pinch gesture at the tab]
Glasses: [Tab becomes selected]
You: [Grab and move gesture]
Glasses: [Tab moves to new position]
You: [Push away gesture]
Glasses: [Tab minimizes]
| Feature | Big Tech Glasses | Kāraṇa |
|---|---|---|
| Where does AI run? | Their servers | Your glasses |
| Who owns your data? | They do | You do |
| Can they lock your account? | Yes | Impossible |
| Do they see your photos? | Yes | No |
| Can you vote on features? | No | Yes |
| Works without internet? | Barely | Fully |
| Open source? | No | Yes |
| Hand gesture control? | Limited | Full 3D tracking |
| Eye tracking? | Basic | Gaze + dwell selection |
| Multi-user AR? | No | Collaborative sessions |
| Security updates? | When they decide | Automatic with rollback |
| Crash recovery? | Restart | Automatic recovery |
✅ Voice & AI
- Understand natural language commands
- Have multi-turn conversations
- Extract information from speech
- Generate helpful responses
- Learn your preferences
✅ Augmented Reality
- Pin content in physical space
- Track hands and fingers
- Detect where you're looking
- Share AR with friends
- Persist across sessions
✅ Security & Privacy
- Biometric authentication (iris, voice, face)
- Military-grade encryption
- Secure storage for secrets
- Role-based permissions
- Everything local, nothing to cloud
✅ System Services
- Automatic updates with rollback
- Crash recovery and diagnostics
- Power management and optimization
- Health monitoring and wellness
Let's be real about what Kāraṇa can't do (yet):
❌ Hardware Constraints
- Run Photoshop (too heavy for glasses)
- Play AAA video games (no GPU power)
- Replace your laptop for work (small display)
- Make phone calls directly (needs phone connection)
❌ Current Development State
- Real hardware support still in progress
- Some AI models need optimization
- Battery life depends on usage
But when you ask for something impossible, Kāraṇa is honest:
You: "Open VS Code"
Kāraṇa: "Smart glasses can't run desktop apps like VS Code.
But I can show code snippets or save notes for later!"
- Smart glasses hardware (coming soon - or build your own!)
- The Kāraṇa OS software (free, open source)
- 15 minutes to set up your identity
- Power on glasses
- Say "Hey Karana, start setup"
- Write down your 24 words (IMPORTANT!)
- Confirm by reading them back
- Done! You're sovereign now.
Q: What if I lose my glasses? A: Buy new ones, enter your 24 words, everything is restored. Your data is encrypted and can only be unlocked with those words.
Q: What if someone steals my glasses? A: Without your 24 words (or biometric unlock - iris, voice, face), they can't access your wallet or data. It's like stealing a locked safe with fingerprint scanner.
Q: Do I need internet? A: For basic stuff (voice, camera, timer, AR) - no. For sending money or syncing with others - yes, but only briefly.
Q: Is this real cryptocurrency like Bitcoin? A: KARA tokens are digital currency that works similarly to crypto, but designed for everyday use, not speculation.
Q: Can I still use regular apps? A: Kāraṇa is designed for glasses-specific tasks. For full apps, use your phone/laptop. Think of it as a smart companion, not a replacement.
Q: What if the company behind Kāraṇa disappears? A: Because it's open source and your identity is yours, Kāraṇa keeps working. The community can continue development. No company can "turn it off."
Q: How does it know where to put AR content? A: Kāraṇa uses SLAM (like self-driving cars use to map roads) to understand your space. It remembers where you put things, even after you leave and come back.
Q: Can multiple people see the same AR? A: Yes! Collaborative AR sessions let you share an AR experience with friends. You can both see and interact with the same virtual content.
Q: What happens if the glasses crash? A: Automatic crash recovery kicks in. The system creates a crash dump (for debugging), tries recovery strategies, and restores your session. Like a phone rebooting after a freeze, but smarter.
Q: How do updates work? A: Updates download automatically when you're on WiFi. Installation is "atomic" - either it fully works or it fully rolls back. You're never left with a half-updated, broken system.
Q: Can I use regular phone apps? A: Yes! 15 mainstream apps already work: YouTube, WhatsApp, Gmail, Google Maps, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Netflix, Amazon, Uber, Zoom, Discord, Telegram, and a web browser. All optimized for AR and voice control.
Q: How does "Hey, play YouTube" work? A: The glasses run a lightweight Android container (like Waydroid) that runs real Android apps. When you say "Hey, play YouTube," the system opens the YouTube app in a spatial AR window that you can move/resize with gestures or voice.
Q: Does WhatsApp E2E encryption still work? A: Yes! The glasses run the real WhatsApp app with all its security intact. Your messages are encrypted just like on your phone.
Q: How does distributed AI work? Is it secure? A: When you request a large AI model, your glasses discover capable devices nearby (your phone, laptop, friend's device) and split the model across them. Only the model computations are distributed - your actual data never leaves your glasses. Think of it like your brain borrowing extra neurons temporarily.
Q: What's ephemeral mode? A: Zero-trace privacy mode. When active (automatically in public places or manually), nothing is saved - no photos, no browsing history, no messages. When you end the session, everything disappears permanently. Perfect for sensitive situations.
Q: How does the glasses know I'm in a "public" place? A: Privacy zones use geo-fencing. You set locations for Home, Work, etc. When the glasses detect you're not in a known zone, it assumes Public and applies stricter privacy policies. You can override this anytime.
Q: What happens in "Minimal Mode"? A: When battery hits 10% or temperature exceeds 85°C, the system automatically enters ultra-low-power mode: only HUD, voice, and wallet work. Everything else pauses. This lets you make emergency payments or navigate home even on 2% battery.
Q: What are "build profiles"? A: Four pre-configured system modes that balance features vs. memory:
- Minimal (256MB): Essentials only - HUD, voice, wallet
- Standard (512MB): Recommended - adds camera, AR, basic AI
- Full (1024MB): Everything - blockchain, advanced AI, all sensors
- Development (2048MB): For developers - includes debugging tools
Your glasses automatically pick the right profile based on available memory.
Q: How does model quantization work? A: It compresses AI models by reducing precision:
- FP32 (Full) → 100% accuracy, 4GB size
- INT8 (Standard) → 99% accuracy, 1GB size (4x smaller, 4x faster)
- INT4 (Minimal) → 97% accuracy, 500MB size (8x smaller, 8x faster)
The system picks the best tradeoff for your task. Text generation uses INT4, vision uses INT8.
Q: What's the Intent API for? A: Lets external apps integrate with Kāraṇa without full SDK:
Your App → Intent API → Kāraṇa OS
"Capture photo" → Returns: photo_data.jpg
"Display AR at (x,y,z)" → Shows: Your AR content
"Send 10 KARA" → Executes: Blockchain transaction
Think of it like Siri Shortcuts, but for smart glasses.
Q: How does the companion protocol work? A: Syncs data across your devices:
- Pair devices with 6-digit code
- Clipboard syncs automatically
- Notifications appear on all devices
- Files transfer seamlessly
- Session handoff (start on glasses, continue on phone)
No cloud needed - devices talk directly via encrypted P2P.
Q: What's chaos engineering? A: Intentionally breaking things to test resilience:
- Camera failure → Falls back to voice-only
- Network partition → Queues transactions for later
- Memory exhaustion → Downgrade to Minimal profile
- Thermal emergency → Offload compute to phone
The system tests these scenarios automatically so real failures don't surprise it.
Kāraṇa OS is smart glasses for people who want to own their technology, not rent it from big tech.
Your glasses. Your data. Your rules.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Lines of Code | 195,000+ |
| Rust Source Code | 186,000+ lines |
| Automated Tests | 2,295+ passing |
| Test Coverage | Core modules 85%+ |
| Modules | 68 modules |
| Gesture Types | 15+ recognized gestures |
| Native Apps | 15 apps (YouTube, WhatsApp, Maps, etc.) |
| Build Profiles | 4 (Minimal 256MB / Standard 512MB / Full 1GB / Dev 2GB) |
| Programming Language | Rust 2024 Edition |
| Supported Platforms | Linux (v4l2), Android container |
| API Endpoints | 25+ REST endpoints |
| WebSocket Channels | 12 real-time channels |
| Database | RocksDB for ledger + cache |
| AI Models | MiniLM (22MB), BLIP (500MB), Whisper (75MB) |
| Performance | Voice to action in 180ms average |
Core Features (Phases 1-52)
- 🗣️ Voice AI - Natural language understanding with context
- 👐 Hand Tracking - Full 3D finger and gesture recognition
- 👁️ Gaze Control - Eye tracking with dwell selection
- 🪟 AR Tabs - Browser-like tabs pinned in physical space
- 🔐 Biometric Security - Iris, voice, and face authentication
- 🔄 OTA Updates - Automatic secure updates with rollback
- 🔧 Self-Healing - Crash recovery and diagnostics
- ⛓️ Blockchain - Decentralized identity and payments
- 📴 Offline First - Works without internet
- 📱 Native Apps - YouTube, WhatsApp, Spotify, and 12 more
- 🔋 Smart Power - Adaptive resource management
- 🔒 Privacy Control - Auto-delete, ephemeral mode, permission tracking
- 🌐 Distributed AI - Pool devices for 70B+ models
New: Enhancement Plan V2 (Phases 54-63) 🆕
- 🧠 Model Optimization - 87.5% size reduction with INT4 quantization
- 🔥 Thermal Management - Predictive throttling prevents overheating
- 📊 Workload Distribution - Smart placement across OnHead/BeltWorn/Phone/Cloud
- ⚡ Intent Scheduling - Context-aware AI task prioritization
- 🧪 Chaos Engineering - 12 fault types, automated recovery validation
- 🚩 Feature Flags - 4 build profiles (256MB-2GB), runtime toggles
- 🛡️ Security Presets - Paranoid/High/Balanced/Relaxed modes
- 💰 Spending Guards - Daily limits, transaction cooldown, recovery config
- 🎨 Progressive UX - 4 expertise levels (Beginner→Expert)
- 🔌 Intent API - External app integration with 7 intent types
- 🔄 Interoperability - Companion protocol for cross-device sync
- 🖥️ Desktop Bridge - File sync and notifications with desktop
Kāraṇa - Be the cause of your own digital freedom.