Lumus extends AR eyewear push with advanced waveguide designs
Lumus is continuing its push to bring augmented reality eyewear closer to everyday adoption with the introduction of two new geometric waveguides at CES 2026. The developments follow a landmark year for the Israel-based optics company, during which its technology was used in Meta Ray-Ban Display augmented reality glasses, marking a significant step for consumer-ready AR hardware.
At the event, Lumus presented ZOE, a wide-field-of-view waveguide with a field of view exceeding 70 degrees, alongside an enhanced version of its Z-30 waveguide with a 30-degree field of view. The company also offered an early look at Z-30 2.0, a next-generation design focused on reducing thickness and simplifying manufacturing to enable slimmer, lighter AR glasses. Together, the announcements underline Lumus’s ambition to scale its technology across multiple AR form factors.
The new waveguides are built on the company’s role as a supplier to Meta for its Ray-Ban Display AR glasses in 2025. That partnership demonstrated that geometric waveguides could meet both optical performance expectations and the demands of mass production. For Lumus, the collaboration served as validation that its long-term focus on reflective waveguide technology could translate into commercial products.
Lumus specialises in geometric waveguides, a reflective approach that enables display elements to be embedded within lenses that closely resemble conventional eyewear. This design philosophy aims to overcome one of the long-standing barriers to AR adoption: the bulky, conspicuous appearance of earlier smart glasses. By keeping the form factor closer to traditional frames, the company is targeting all-day wearability rather than niche or short-duration use.
ZOE represents Lumus’s most ambitious attempt to expand the visual envelope of AR glasses. By pushing beyond a 70-degree field of view, the waveguide is intended to support more immersive applications such as spatial entertainment, multi-tasking productivity tools, and richer communication experiences. Despite the technical challenge of achieving such a wide field of view, Lumus has stated that ZOE relies on standard optical glass and existing production processes rather than specialised or exotic materials. Early demonstration units shown at CES were assembled quickly, but the underlying architecture is designed for scalability.
Alongside ZOE, Lumus highlighted improvements to its Z-30 optical engine. The updated version delivers a reported 40 per cent increase in brightness and enhanced image quality, while maintaining a compact, lightweight profile. Weighing around 11 grams, the optical engine is designed to remain comfortable for extended wear. Its efficiency enables full daylight readability, a critical requirement for AR glasses intended for outdoor and everyday use.
Looking ahead, Z-30 2.0 points to a broader shift towards thinner and lighter hardware. The forthcoming waveguide achieves a 40 per cent reduction in thickness and is approximately 30 per cent lighter than previous generations, at just 0.8 millimetres. Such reductions are expected to give designers more freedom to create glasses that are visually indistinguishable from standard eyewear while still accommodating advanced AR capabilities.
Another distinguishing feature of Lumus waveguides is their ability to directly bond prescription lenses and dimming elements to the waveguide glass itself. This approach improves durability and helps reduce the risk of moisture intrusion, addressing practical challenges associated with everyday wear. By integrating these elements more tightly, the company aims to simplify assembly and improve long-term reliability.
With optical engines now covering a field of view from around 20 degrees to more than 70 degrees, Lumus is positioning its technology to support a wide spectrum of AR devices. These range from glanceable, low-power displays designed for constant use to more immersive systems intended for richer visual experiences. ZOE and Z-30 2.0 are being showcased at CES 2026 at the Venetian Hotel, as Lumus targets the next phase of consumer augmented reality development.
