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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Lumus’ ZOE prototype pushes previous a 70-degree subject of view and seems like a wraparound show.
- The up to date Z-30 prioritizes on a regular basis readability.
- Z-30 2.0 targets thinner, lighter waveguides to help slimmer frames that look extra regular.
Lumus grabbed consideration at CES 2026 earlier this month, showcasing its waveguide breakthroughs that push subject of view and thinness additional than I’ve seen earlier than in a wise glasses type issue. I spent hands-on time with every of their massive bulletins, together with a fragile prototype held collectively by tape on the edges.
The corporate is constructing instantly on its main success supplying its waveguide know-how to Meta Ray-Ban Show glasses, and proving that geometric waveguides work at client scale with commonplace glass. At CES, Lumus showcased a ZOE prototype with a subject of view of greater than 70 levels, an optimized Z-30 with 40% extra brightness, and a Z-30 2.0 preview that is 40% thinner. David Goldman, VP of selling, walked me by way of every demo with clear enthusiasm concerning the progress Lumus is making.
Meta Ray-Ban Show makes use of Lumus 20-degree waveguide lenses delivering 5,000 nits brightness to compete with vibrant daylight, serving to to validate client urge for food and expectations for AR glasses. “The suggestions on the show facet has been unimaginable,” he stated. As evidenced by my time on the present ground, the success of the shows inside Meta’s glasses helps drive different firms to chase comparable type components and options.
Z-30 impressions
We began the demos with the optimized Z-30, an 11-gram optical engine that hits 8,000 nits per watt effectivity. Take a look at patterns blanketed the 30-degree subject of view with sharp textual content in opposition to white backgrounds. I may learn the dense 8.5-point font from Alice in Wonderland simply and noticed no distortions or shade shifts. A Muppets demo floated transparently with vivid colours that actually popped, and Goldman confirmed his personal expertise with clear eye visibility by way of the lens whereas watching Avatar in 3D.
The one-by-one facet ratio made photographs really feel considerably bigger regardless of a modest improve in subject of view in comparison with Meta’s 20 levels. The Z-30 2.0 preview has 40% thinner glass and 30% lighter weight, doubtlessly lowering manufacturing steps whereas growing yield from uncooked supplies. This tech targets all-day notification, navigation, and translation use circumstances, the place light-weight consolation issues most. I used to be impressed by how vibrant and clear these lenses appeared whereas additionally being extremely skinny and lightweight.
ZOE breakthrough tech
The star of the present was the 70-degree ZOE prototype. In actual fact, Goldman handed the only surviving unit to me with excessive care, as the corporate had already misplaced two. “That is the earliest prototype that we’re exhibiting publicly of 70 levels,” he defined. A cyberpunk airship instantly created wraparound immersion, filling my imaginative and prescient.
I used to be bowled over by how a lot of my view was lined by such a easy, commonplace eyeglass type issue.
The take a look at patterns delivered sharp readability and vivid colours at 1080p decision, showing to me to be even crisper than the Z-30 regardless of decrease brightness. The prototype makes use of primary glass and optics, proving {that a} extensive subject of view can work with out unique supplies that may drive up prices. ZOE targets immersive spatial leisure, multi-app productiveness, gaming, and even protection purposes the place troopers want most situational consciousness.
I may simply see myself utilizing this prototype to calm down and watch a 3D film. Although the show is see-through, I used to be struck by simply how a lot of the world I did not see by way of the on-display content material. At first, I used to be involved about issues of safety that may come up when shows occupy this a lot house in the true world.
Nonetheless, upon additional thought, I started to see the advantages of that extensive protection, significantly as techniques turn into extra able to embedding imagery into and round real-world objects. Not each pixel must be lit up always, and a wider subject of view like this supplies a broader canvas for AR components to function on.
I requested Goldman about prescription lenses, since 70% of individuals want imaginative and prescient correction. Lumus waveguides can bond prescription lenses on to the glass, skipping the air gaps that allow mud and moisture sneak into competing designs. Its mirror-based strategy retains mild touring straight, preserving true colours and saving battery life in comparison with diffractive rivals.
AR coatings drop ahead leakage to virtually zero, so bystanders are unlikely to see glowing rainbows that give away what’s being proven contained in the glasses.
Lumus now covers all the things from 20-degree glances to its early work with 70-degree immersion, that means producers can choose tech that matches every use case and type issue. A few of these demos felt endearingly fragile, however the optics carried out superbly, leaving me genuinely enthusiastic about how succesful efficiency in normal-looking AR glasses will proceed to be.
