manager_1 The Augmented Reality market has experienced unprecedented growth since 2019. However, AR glasses are often ugly and bulky and have yet to see a leap in fashion adoption.
Google’s glasses serve as a perfect example of this: nobody in public wants to have a visible gadget on their faces. An AR baseball cap was also introduced by Facebook in January. This is a no-go for fashion people. The cap is a forward-thinking alternative to traditional AR headsets or goggles, which Facebook claims can sometimes be heavy and bulky and/or generate excessive heat that is too uncomfortable for the user’s skin. However, the cap seems to have been made without regard to style, as with many wearables.
Ray-Ban is your new friend. Ray-Ban Stories was launched by Facebook and Ray-Ban, the maker of cool sunglasses. The tech is hidden in styles that resemble the Wayfarer shape. The smart glasses have a discreet camera that allows them to take photos and videos, listen to music, or make phone calls without the need of bulky caps, unattractive eyewear, or any other gadget.
Same glasses, hidden tech
Ray-Ban Stories has integrated cameras that capture photos and videos via voice command. A hard-wired capture LED light up when you take a photo or a video. This is perhaps the most annoying feature. A process called miniaturization allowed speakers to be built in.
Ray-Ban’s parent company EssilorLuxottica was a partner in the design process. They worked with Facebook from concept to final design, integrating smart technology into an “iconic format factor,” using existing shapes that don’t shout tech gadget. All components needed to be reengineered in order to fit into the smallest space and lightest frame.
Ray-Ban Stories are the first in line of Facebook’s ongoing partnership is with EssorLuxottica. The social media giants and the eyewear industry’s biggest players aim to revolutionize the wearables market by fusing innovation and style, something that most companies have not been able to do.
Smart glasses will become part of our everyday lives? Let’s see …..
