Imagine having a real-time translation service, nutrition guru, knowledge base and more on your face. That's the promise of an open-source wearable from startup Brilliant Labs, which taps into multiple AI models to put what you need in front of your eyes.
The idea of enhancing reading glasses with smart technologies is not new. The Google Glass project is probably the most well-known attempt, but others trying to spark the eyewear tech revolution include Lenovo, Meta and Bose. Brilliant Labs – which has former Apple executive Bobak Tavangar at the helm – is hoping that multi-AI integration will see its smart glasses succeed where others, well, haven't.
Within the plastic-looking, Harry Potter-esque Frame glasses is an onboard camera for object recognition (as well as photo and video possibilities), together with a microphone for voice interaction. This combo means that you can get more information on a bottle of wine you're looking at, have the system identify the building or landmark in your view, check a food item's nutritional information while out shopping or offer live language translations.
All of the info is placed in front of your eyes via micro-OLED display technology that projects visuals through a "geometric prism" for a relatively narrow 20-degree field of view, and the setup can also throw augmented imagery onto the real world – such as trying out a piece of virtual furniture in a room before you commit to buying.
The Frame system works with a companion mobile app called Noa, that Tavangar told VentureBeat was "a totally new kind of AI virtual assistant, empowers users to engage more with the world around them, not less." Through this, the always-on AI assistant is able to tap into OpenAI, Whisper and Perplexity for analysis of visuals, live translations and web search, respectively.
The wearable can be optioned for prescription lenses, is reported to weigh under 40 g (1.4 oz), and has been designed "to fit most people." Its all-day battery is charged by resting the Frame specs on an included Mister Power charger (which probably should come with a comedy Groucho moustache, just for fun). And the company welcomes hacks and mods, with design files and code available on GitHub.
The Frame smart glasses are up for pre-order now in black, gray or transparent for US$349, with shipping slated to begin from April 15. The AI services are currently free, though there is a daily usage cap. A paid subscription model will be added soon. The video below has more.
Product page: Brilliant Labs Frame
