Why a Robot Vacuum Maker Launched Two Electric Car Brands
▼ Summary
– Chinese tech companies, comprising nearly a quarter of exhibitors, are a dominant force at CES, showcasing everything from gadgets to AI and electric vehicles.
– A major trend is the proliferation of Chinese AI smart glasses, with dozens of products on display, including from companies like Rokid and Alibaba.
– Rokid’s AR glasses demonstrate practical features like vision adaptation, real-time translation, and information display, though mass adoption remains distant.
– Industry experts believe smart glasses need to be lightweight, affordable, and long-lasting to succeed, comparing their potential growth to that of Chinese electric vehicles.
– The underlying display technology, such as Appotronics’ miniaturized laser projectors, is advancing to enable full-color, cost-effective smart glasses.
Walking the vast halls of CES in Las Vegas offers a glimpse into the future, and this year that future is being shaped by a massive wave of innovation from China. With nearly a quarter of all exhibitors hailing from the country, the event feels like a satellite of Shenzhen’s electronics ecosystem. Beyond the dancing humanoid robots and curious gadgets, Chinese firms are making serious strides in artificial intelligence software, electric vehicles, and self-driving technology. Among the most compelling trends are the rapid advancements in smart glasses and the strategic moves by established tech companies into entirely new industries.
The race to perfect smart glasses is accelerating, with Chinese AI companies leading the charge in product development. While Meta has delayed its global rollout, Chinese exhibitors showcased dozens of AI eyewear models. A standout is Rokid, a Hangzhou-based firm specializing in AR and VR glasses since 2018. According to Rokid’s global general manager, Zoro Shao, augmented reality glasses hold particular promise because they are designed for extended, comfortable wear. The ideal pair, he suggests, would weigh under 50 grams, feature a full-color display, require just one daily charge, and cost less than five hundred dollars.
However, Shao acknowledges that widespread consumer adoption remains a distant goal. He draws a comparison to the electric vehicle market, noting that Chinese EVs became an unstoppable force once they captured five percent of the domestic market. In contrast, the cumulative sales of Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses represent less than one percent of the U.S. population, highlighting the niche status of the category.
Testing Rokid’s flagship glasses revealed their potential. They project a small, green monochrome screen within the user’s field of vision, displaying everything from GPS directions and AI chat conversations to real-time language translations. A particularly user-friendly feature is the ability to insert prescription lenses in seconds, a boon for nearsighted users like myself who often struggle with wearable tech. The translation tool was impressively functional, recording speech, processing it through AI models from partners like Alibaba or Microsoft, and displaying the text almost instantly. The experience does feel somewhat awkward, however, requiring you to read a screen while someone is speaking to you directly.
Alibaba also presented its own smart glasses, launched in November, though its modest booth and absent staff made a hands-on trial impossible. The company declined to share sales figures but indicated plans for an international release soon. Another critical player in this ecosystem is Appotronics, which manufactures the miniature laser projectors that make these lens displays possible. The company showed me a unit roughly the size of a Lego brick capable of projecting full-color images, noting its cost-effective manufacturing process. This core component technology is vital for making future glasses both lighter and more visually immersive.
(Source: Wired)
