AI glasses for persons with visual impairments developed by technology leaders

Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses are hands-free, voice-controlled smart glasses that provide visual assistance via built-in AI and the Be My Eyes volunteer network. They help with wayfinding, object and label recognition, work without a phone, cost $299 and saw wide adoption since 2023.

Meta is a leading ICT-multinational company, running the social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp. In collaboration with the company Essilor Luxottica and its Ray Ban-glasses, Meta has developed lightweight smart glasses with integrated cameras, microphones, and AI functionality. It also connects with Be My Eyes AI, a non-profit platform connecting live volunteers to users in need of guidance, object recognition, text reading, or everyday mobility. Since its launch, by mid-2025 over 2 million glasses had been sold.

Problems Targeted

People with visual impairments lack reliable, discreet assistance – especially in new environments – limiting independence and access.

Solution, Innovation and Impact

The Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses are a hands-free, voice-controlled device that enables interaction with the environment through different features, such as calling, texting, and AI support. The integration of Be My Eyes, a visual assistance provider that uses volunteers and technology (Zero Project Awardee of 2022), offers people with visual disabilities instant visual descriptions and wayfinding. Users simply say, “Hey Meta, be my eyes” to send a live video stream to the Be My Eyes AI global network of volunteers. Visually impaired communities are using Meta AI to describe their surroundings, which lets them find things in a room, identify what is in front of them, or read food labels in the grocery store. The Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses are customizable and do not require the user to carry a phone, allowing them also to use a cane or guide dog with their free hand. Priced at $299 in the United States, the glasses cost about a tenth of comparable assistive technologies. Since their launch in 2023, by 2025 over 2 million units have been sold, achieving widespread adoption among people with visual impairments.

Funding, Outlook and Transferability

Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses are a mass-market product, costing less than 10 percent of assistive technologies that are aimed exclusively at people with visual disabilities, and pricing is in range of quality glasses without additional functionality. The glasses are also helpful for people with physical disabilities, allowing hands-free operation for calling, photographing, messaging, and the use of AI. META aims to be a technology leader for wearable products and offer more products in the next 3 to 5 years. (#ZeroCall26)

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