EssilorLuxottica, the world's largest eyewear manufacturer, and Applied Materials (AMAT) announced on Tuesday the signing of a long-term agreement to jointly develop augmented reality (AR) display technologies and artificial intelligence-powered glasses.
Under the terms of the agreement, EssilorLuxottica and Applied Materials will work to scale the commercialization of AI eyewear, with research and development efforts concentrated on advanced optical technologies.
EssilorLuxottica has already established a leading position in the AI glasses market through its longstanding partnership with Meta, launching smart eyewear under the Ray-Ban and Oakley brands.
The first of their devices to feature a built-in display, the Ray-Ban Meta Display, was released in 2025.
This AI eyewear integrates cameras, microphones, and speakers into a traditional frame design and is equipped with an AI voice assistant capable of answering questions and describing the surrounding environment.
Augmented reality technology, which overlays digital images onto a user's field of view, presents a more complex challenge within the field of optics.
California-based Applied Materials manufactures specialized equipment used to create the ultra-thin material layers at the core of semiconductor chips, which are essential components for AR displays.
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