AI glasses for the blind take centre stage at CES 2026

January 11, 2026 / 11:10 PM

Sharjah 24 – Reuters: Engineer Cornel Amariei, growing up in Romania, always dreamed of showcasing his work at CES. This year, he is not only an exhibitor but also the president and CEO of .lumen, attracting attention for his innovative technology.

CES Innovation Award recognition

.lumen is a 2026 CES Innovation Awards Honoree for its groundbreaking product, Glasses for the Blind. The device, worn on the head, functions similarly to a guide dog, using haptic feedback to guide users safely through their environment.

How the glasses work

Amariei explained, “We built a self-driving car, but not one which drives on the road, but actually one which you wear on your head in order to guide you. They replicate what a guide dog does. If a guide dog works by pulling your hand, avoiding obstacles, and taking care of you, we do the same—but instead of the hand, we guide your head using haptics.”

A personal mission

For Amariei, the project is deeply personal. He is the only family member without a disability and recognised a significant gap in resources that technology could address.

Expanding globally

Currently, .lumen is fulfilling orders in Eastern Europe and hopes to expand into the US market. Amariei shared an emotional moment: “The first time I ever saw a blind person navigating one of our systems, enabling what they had never done before, it was amazing. There were some tears involved.”