Wearable

Arrow Electronics is collaborating with Romanian startup .lumen to scale intelligent guide glasses designed to replicate the key functions of a guide dog.

.lumen’s Glasses for the Blind replicate the essential functions of a guide dog by combining artificial intelligence (AI), six integrated cameras, and real-time haptic feedback on a single wearable headset. The glasses continuously scan and understand the environment in real time, detecting obstacles, identifying safe paths, and guiding the user with gentle directional vibrations.

The entire navigation system runs locally on the device, making it fully independent from the cloud. This architecture delivers ultra-low latency, which is essential for safe, reliable navigation in fast-changing environments such as crowded streets or unfamiliar indoor spaces.

.lumen exhibited on Jan. 5-9, 2026, at CES, Las Vegas, where they were named a CES Innovation Awards 2026 Honouree in the Accessibility and Longevity category, and also won the CTA Foundation’s 2026 Pitch Competition.

Arrow is providing engineering and supply chain services to enable .lumen to scale its production efficiently. This includes identifying, sourcing, and integrating the lengthy list of electronic components required, such as processors, cameras, sensors, and connectors. Arrow is also supporting .lumen with inventory reliability, cost control, and improved performance of the complex wearable technology.

By supporting the development of this technology, Arrow is expanding on its existing work in Semi-Autonomous Mobility (SAM), which uses intelligent technology to provide greater independence to people with physical disabilities. An example of Arrow’s previous work in this area is the Arrow SAM Car, the series of advanced cars that can be controlled by a quadriplegic race driver with support from an AI model and electronics developed by Arrow engineers.

“We are helping to create a device which will eventually make life better for millions of people,” said Vitali Damasevich, Arrow’s regional director of engineering in Eastern Europe. “At Arrow, we are committed to supporting the .lumen team to help ensure this breakthrough technology can be reliably and efficiently manufactured so it can get into the hands of those who need it most.”

“Growing up in a family where everyone but me had a disability, I realised how much technology can help people with disabilities, but also how rarely it’s built for people with disabilities. I founded .lumen to solve this,” said Cornel Amariei, founder & CEO of .lumen.

“The Glasses for the Blind use .lumen’s proprietary Pedestrian Autonomous Driving AI technology. It does everything a self-driving car does, but on the pedestrian side. The best part is this technology doesn’t need any infrastructure change.”

.lumen is currently taking orders for the device, which aims to provide users with unprecedented mobility and freedom. Future software updates include features such as “Take Me,” which is designed to integrate with mapping services and extend navigation capabilities beyond obstacle avoidance.

arrow.com