EssilorLuxottica Partners with Applied Materials to Scale AR & Smart Glasses Optics

The world's largest eyewear maker is betting its future on augmented reality, partnering with a semiconductor giant to manufacture the optical components that could finally make smart glasses practical for mass consumption. EssilorLuxottica's alliance with Applied Materials signals that the AR industry, after years of hype and false starts, may have cracked the engineering problem that has kept sleek, functional smart glasses confined to the lab. If the companies succeed in scaling production, they could upend an $150 billion eyewear industry while capturing a slice of the next computing platform.

Road to VR·Jun 24