EssilorLuxottica cooperates with Facebook for smart glasses

EssilorLuxottica and Facebook announced a multi-year collaboration to develop the next generation of smart glasses. Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared the news during Facebook Connect, an annual conference held virtually from California.

The partnership aims to combine Facebook apps and technologies, Luxottica’s market power and iconic brands, and Essilor’s advanced lens technology to “help people stay better connected with their friends and families.” The first product will be the world’s most popular eyewear brand, Ray-Ban, and should be launched in 2021.

“We’re passionate about researching devices that help people better connect with those who are closest to them. Wearables have the potential to do this. With EssilorLuxottica we have an equally ambitious partner who brings their expertise and their first-class brand catalog to the first truly fashionable smart glasses, ”said Andrew Bosworth, Vice President of Facebook Reality Labs.

“We are particularly proud of our collaboration with Facebook, which projects a cult brand like Ray-Ban into an increasingly digital and social future. By combining a brand that is loved and worn by millions of consumers around the world with technology that has brought the world closer together, we can redefine expectations for wearables. We are paving the way for a new generation of products designed to change the way we see the world, ”said Rocco Basilico, Chief Wearables Officer, Luxottica.

Product name, specifications, software capabilities, pricing, and other details will be announced prior to launch in 2021.