Safilo Group launches fashionable smart glasses without the ‘nerd’ factor

The company hopes that its competitive advantage in this erging market will be designing collections to look just like regular fashionable frames.Safilo’s high-end designer brands include Dior, Carrera, Hugo Boss and Fendi and the Italian–based company has collaborated with technology firm Interaxon, which has developed a brainsensing application called Muse.{{quote-A:R-W:450-Q: The new eye wear range will fall under Safilo’s sports brand Smith }}The new eye wear range will fall under Safilo’s sports brand Smith, with the name Lowdown Focus Mpowered by Muse. It will target the sports market to enhance athletic performance and cognitive abilities, albeit in a fashionable style and will be available to consumers in the third quarter of this year.Safilo CEO Ms Luisa Delgado explained that, unlike the failed Google Glass, its smart glasses have limited functions with no augmented reality display or digital camera. Instead they are equipped to detect brainwaves by sending the data to a linked application installed in a tablet device or smart phone.“The idea is to let people assess their moods, helping th relax and meditate. Additional features will be added over time,” Delgado said.The company is confident it will not meet the same fate as Google Glass early 2016, which flopped due to poor battery life and operational probls.Commenting on his company’s collaboration with Safilo, Interaxon CEO Mr Derek Luke explained “wearers will be supported to develop a consistent mental training practice, leading to greater levels of performance and focus whether they’re competing, studying, parenting or working.”{{image2-a:l-w:400}}“Our collaboration with Safilo has resulted in the first mental performanceenhancing eyewear on the market and the first device users will wear throughout the day, increasing the likelihood they will engage in beneficial exercises more often and consistently,” Luke said.Muse has been the flagship product of Interaxon for the past two years which is marketed in the form of a meditation headband. It measures brainwave activity during meditation and provides feedback to make wearers more relaxed and focused. It is used by coaches, athletes and health practitioners in hundreds of hospitals worldwide.