Our AI glasses combine iconic style and cutting-edge technology to help people from all backgrounds connect more easily with one another. We have already seen the positive impact that our wearable technology has on the blind and low-vision communities, and we partnered with the Oscar Mike Foundation, a nonprofit that supports military veterans with disabilities, to understand how it can help people who struggle with memory loss.

We believe AI glasses have the potential to be truly transformative tools for making technology more accessible to people with cognitive disabilities. In collaboration with the Oscar Mike Foundation, we’re making advancements in accessibility — like memory assistance and spatial awareness — using Aria Gen 2, our next-generation research glasses. These innovations can help people with disabilities live more confidently and independently.

Building for Everyone

During a collaborative design workshop with the Oscar Mike Foundation, veterans with memory loss and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) explained their daily challenges, and how our glasses help them be more independent. The workshop participants said the Aria Gen 2 glasses could help them remember everyday tasks or where they left items like their keys or phone, refocus on a task if they get distracted, and navigate indoor environments.

Some participants added that the conversation focus feature on Ray-Ban Meta glasses was beneficial to them in not getting distracted when talking to someone, and that live captions on Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses helped those who were hard of hearing feel fully present without having to lip read.

Through brainstorming and device-testing, we identified three challenges that our AI glasses could help those with memory loss resulting from TBIs navigate: remembering conversation details, daily task planning, and remaining present in certain situations by reducing distractions from a mobile device or getting hands-free reminders.

Gathering Feedback from Veterans

Army veteran Edward Johnson, who participated in the workshop, said that he typically writes things down in order to remember them. He said that the ability to retrieve information about what he’s done throughout the day simply by using a voice command makes it easier to recall details at a moment’s notice.

“I have a lot of resources that I keep with me to assist me [in my] day-to-day,” he said. “Instead of having multiple resources at hand, [the glasses] would bottle everything into one where I can just have it there. I think it’s great.”

Navy veteran Elizabeth Smith lives with short-term memory loss and said that she often forgets important things like taking medications and attending meetings. She said that the accessibility of our AI glasses makes them more inclusive for anyone who uses them, and that they have the potential to change lives for others with memory loss.

“It makes you feel human. It makes you just know that you are just like every other person in your life, and you don’t often feel that when you’re disabled,” she said.

Advancing Innovation for Accessible Technologies

By working closely with communities affected by memory loss, we’re learning how to build solutions that help people stay present with others, more easily manage their daily tasks, and remember things most important to them. Aria Gen 2 is advancing our progress in developing new technologies to be more accessible, and we are continuing to partner with researchers, organizations, and people with disabilities as we bring the human perspective to AI.