Imagine wearing your regular prescription glasses, but they can also show you digital information right in front of your eyes without looking bulky. Instead of heavy headsets, this tech uses special thin mirrors and tiny lights built directly into the lens. It makes smart glasses look and feel like normal eyewear that anyone can wear all day.
Current AR glasses are too bulky, aesthetically unappealing, and incompatible with standard prescription lenses, preventing all-day use and mass adoption.
A generic AR eyewear platform featuring RGB OLED microdisplays, holographic lens mirrors, and a dedicated Color SDK for software control.
If you are a warehouse operator dealing with slow picking speeds and manual checklists — this project developed AR eyewear that provides useful informative content in a lightweight form. This allows workers to see data hands-free while maintaining normal vision.
If you are a healthcare provider dealing with the need for real-time data during procedures without bulky equipment — this project developed a see-through AR platform compatible with visual correction. It ensures clinicians can see patient data without removing their prescription glasses.
If you are a sports brand dealing with the lack of non-stigmatizing, lightweight heads-up displays for athletes — this project developed an inclusive ARE technology. It integrates into ordinary-looking glasses for outdoor sports use cases.
Based on available project data, the project specifically integrates cost-efficiency aspects to ensure the resulting AR eyewear is affordable.
Yes, the project uses coating processes designed to be close to the ophthalmic industrial environment, leveraging the existing eyewear industry value chain.
Based on available project data, the consortium includes 4 industrial partners and 3 SMEs, but specific licensing terms are not disclosed in the summary.
The technology uses free-form holographic mirrors and RGB OLED stacks integrated into thin prescription lenses to maintain a normal eyewear aesthetic.
The project period runs from 2024-01-01 to 2026-12-31, with prototypes being tested in three realistic use case scenarios.
The consortium is highly commercially oriented with an industry ratio of 36%, comprising 4 industrial partners and 3 SMEs. Led by Essilor International, a global leader in eyewear, the group spans the entire value chain across 4 countries, combining 3 universities and 2 research organizations to bridge the gap between lab research and industrial ophthalmic production.
Contact Essilor International regarding the POPULAR project
Contact us to connect with the POPULAR consortium for licensing or pilot opportunities.
