EU-funded project develops camera-free smart glasses

An EU-funded consortium is developing smart glasses that track eye movements using laser-based photonic sensors rather than cameras.

The project, called VIVA, is coordinated by Bosch Sensortec and brings together 13 partners across seven European countries.

At the centre of the effort are vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, or VCSELs, which measure light reflected from the eye to detect microscopic movements. The aim is to avoid the camera-based systems commonly used for eye tracking, which can add bulk, heat and privacy concerns to wearable devices.

Developers are building test frames to show how the sensing system could be used in future consumer and industrial products. The current glasses are research demonstrators, not retail devices, and are being used to validate the system in real-world conditions.

One early application is a pair of autofocal glasses that adjust lens focus based on what the wearer appears to be doing. The system is designed to recognise eye-movement patterns linked to reading, then sharpen the lenses for close-up vision without buttons, gestures or manual controls.

The consortium is designing the eye-tracking system to achieve more than 95% reliability and a gaze-angle detection rate above 100 Hz, while reducing false triggers such as brief downward glances. That would place the technology in a range suited to situations where rapid shifts in attention matter, including driving and industrial work.

The camera-free design is also central to the project's privacy claims. Because the system measures reflected light rather than capturing images, it does not photograph the eye or collect visual image data. The partners argue that could make the technology easier to deploy in environments sensitive to surveillance concerns.

Miniaturisation is another focus. The consortium is combining VCSEL-based sensing with meta-optics and signal processing in an effort to fit the hardware into lightweight frames that can be worn for extended periods. Existing smart glasses and autofocal eyewear have often struggled with bulk, comfort and disorientation, especially during long use.

VIVA Project Coordinator Dr Thomas Schlebusch of Bosch Sensortec said the work is intended to move eye tracking beyond specialist equipment.

"For years, eye-tracking has been stuck in research labs or bulky headsets. With VIVA, we want to improve the end-user experience."

"Laser-based sensing lets us shrink the hardware to the point where it fits naturally into something as familiar as a pair of glasses. It's fast, it's accurate, and it respects your privacy because it doesn't rely on cameras or photograph your retinas. We're building something people can genuinely use in the real world, not just in controlled test setups."

"The frame prototypes built within the VIVA project are not consumer products, but research demonstrators designed to validate the VIVA eye-tracking system in real-world conditions. They illustrate what future smart glasses could do once this sensing principle is integrated into next-generation wearable displays."

Industrial uses

The first target markets are automotive and industrial applications, where the ability to monitor attention without cameras could be valuable. In vehicles, eye-movement sensing could help identify distraction or drowsiness. In workplaces, it could support hands-free displays that present information only when and where it is needed.

The system could also reduce cognitive strain by limiting visual clutter. A driver approaching a junction, for example, might see only the relevant street information, while a worker looking at a dashboard could receive data tied to the task at hand.

Although consumer smart glasses remain a longer-term prospect, the project reflects broader European interest in photonics as a strategic industrial field. The partners include companies and research institutions from Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, spanning laser design, software, signal processing, artificial intelligence and manufacturing.

Bosch Sensortec is coordinating the work from Reutlingen, Germany. Other participants include TRUMPF Photonic Components, Sigma Connectivity, NIL Technology, Morrow, RWTH Aachen University, the Technical University of Munich, Universidad Pública de Navarra and TNO.

The consortium is now developing prototypes and carrying out system-level integration tests as it seeks to show that photonic sensing can move eye tracking from specialist devices into everyday eyewear.