On 9 September, Facebook and Ray-Ban launched Ray-Ban Stories, their first generation Smart Glasses. Announced by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and EssilorLuxottica Chief Wearables Officer Rocco Basilico, the Ray-Ban Stories are normal-looking Smart Glasses similar to the succesful Wayfarer model. However, they are equipped with two 5-megapixel cameras integrated into the frame, and are capable of taking photos and recording up to 30 seconds videos that can be saved on the phone or posted on Facebook or Instagram. With Ray-Ban Stories, it is also possible to answer phone calls or listen to music, and they can be controlled by a physical button or voice commands.
With the launch of Ray-Ban Stories, Smart Glasses are coming back into the consumer market to speak to the general public. An important signal to the entire sector and which opens up the use of these devices even outside the business environment, the main field where they have been widely used by companies for years. Today many manufacturers – from Epson Moverio to Google, from RealWear to Vuzix – produce monocular or binocular Smart Glasses that capture the wearer’s field of view and host software capable of projecting Augmented Reality content on the integrated displays. The technological evolution of these wearable devices, which have become increasingly sophisticated in recent years, and the development of specific Augmented Reality software have allowed many companies to innovate their production processes and digitally transform their activities, reaping great benefits in terms of costs, times, safety and environmental impact.
The fact that the market is investing in wearable devices for consumers will make known to an even wider audience all the functional advantages typical of Smart Glasses and Augmented Reality, and help them to become familiar with a technology increasingly present in many people’s working life.
