US. Global eyewear specialist EssilorLuxottica has introduced Ray-Ban Nuance Audio glasses, designed for consumers with ‘mild to moderate hearing loss’. The product is being showcased at the ongoing (9-12 January) Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
At its CES booth, the company is presenting a prototype for Nuance Audio, which has built-in advanced hearing technology.
EssilorLuxottica noted: “Hearing solutions is an underpenetrated market where – similar to vision care decades ago – consumers are averse to wearing traditional corrective devices for many reasons including visibility, discomfort and price.”
The glasses integrate proprietary open-ear hearing technology into fashionable eyewear. Nuance Audio’s market launch is expected to be in the second half of 2024, starting with North America.
The EssilorLuxottica booth also features Ray-Ban Meta – a product which offers built-in camera, open-ear audio, artificial intelligence-powered solutions, a livestream function and hands-free calling – as well as the group’s new Helix division with Vision(X). Vision(X) is an intelligent, interconnected platform that aims to modernise eye care practices through digital solutions such as tele-optometry and optical big data services.
Last October, EssilorLuxottica Global Travel Retail Director Alessio Crivelli took The Moodie Davitt Report on a tour of the eyewear leader’s TFWA World Exhibition 2023 stand. A dedicated space showcased the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses alongside new fixtures.
EssilorLuxottica Chairman and CEO Francesco Milleri said: “Throughout our ten-year-long smart eyewear journey, we have honed our research and development, manufacturing and distribution capabilities through several partnerships and product releases, including the recent introduction of Ray-Ban Meta.
“At CES we take our place among the world’s leading innovators with Nuance Audio – a product that has the potential to improve the quality of life for over a billion people.” ✈
