Rokid Global@RokidGlobalOptics and AIAI score2626

Rokid has opened its first global flagship store at Shop 323A, 3/F, Ocean Centre, Harbour City, Hong Kong, billed as the world's first unstaffed self-service AI glasses experience store. Customers can try the latest AI glasses on site and pick up products themselves using in-store robotic arms. Rokid describes itself as the world's No. 1 display AI glasses brand.

Rokid Global@RokidGlobalOptics and AIAI score4444

Rokid's first unstaffed self-service AI glasses experience store has officially opened in Hong Kong. 🇭🇰👓 Today, we held the opening ceremony for our first global flagship store at Harbour City. Special guests Carlos Chan and Benjamin Yuen attended the ribbon-cutting and experienced Rokid Glasses together with guests, partners and community members.

Fanchuangwei High-Transparency Optical AR Lens Project Lands in Taizhou with Total Investment of About RMB 550 Million

Shanghai Fanchuangwei Technology's high-transparency optical AR glasses lens project has settled in Huangyan, Taizhou, to be carried out in two phases by Fanke Technology (Taizhou), with total investment of about RMB 550 million. Phase one, at about RMB 150 million, plans to complete an innovation center and pilot production line by 2027. Phase two, at about RMB 400 million, targets annual output of 100 tonnes of high-purity silicon carbide optical material by 2028. Aimed at AI glasses and AR terminals, the project covers the full chain from optical materials and etching processes to optical devices.

Hesai launches Kosmo, extending from LiDAR to robotic joints and physical AI infrastructure

Hesai held the global launch of Kosmo at its Maxwell super factory in Shanghai on October 14, unveiling a 3D world data engine and disclosing that it has entered robotic motion modules and begun commercial deliveries. Li Yifan said that LiDAR units that sold for more than RMB 300,000 back then can now be produced for around $200, with the production cycle shortened to one unit every five to six seconds.

Rokid Global@RokidGlobalOptics and AIAI score4343

Rokid's first global flagship store has officially opened in Hong Kong! 🇭🇰👓 It is also the world's first self-service AI glasses experience store. You can try Rokid Glasses and Rokid Style at your own pace, then watch a robotic arm in the store retrieve the product you selected. Come to Harbour City to discover a new way to experience AI glasses. 📍 Shop 323A, Level 3, Ocean Centre, Harbour City, Hong Kong #Rokid #RokidGlasses #RokidStyle #AIGlasses #WearableAI #HongKong

US Army Research Office awards $19.2 million grant to UCF-led team

A team led by the University of Central Florida (UCF) will receive a five-year, $19.2 million grant from the US Army Research Office to study light propagation and control in complex dynamic environments. The project, led by Guifang Li, will explore weak backscattering coherent measurement, inverse methods, AI analysis and multi-plane light conversion, with the goal of measuring and rapidly correcting light field distortions when remote sensors or beacons cannot be placed. Potential applications include directed-energy systems, biological tissue imaging, laser medicine, remote sensing and free-space optical communications.

Chip Demand Keeps Growing; ASML Studies Further Expanding Lithography Equipment Capacity

ASML said its existing 2027 and 2028 supply plans cannot fully meet customer demand and that it is studying a further expansion of 2028 capacity beyond the previously planned 30% increase. Quarterly sales through September 27 were EUR 11.7 billion, up more than 50% year over year. The NXE:3800F EUV lithography system slated for introduction next year will raise productivity from 230 to 260 wafers per hour.

Zhishang Technology Receives $500 Million Fiber Optic Connector Demand Forecast from PH Customer for 2027

Shenzhen Zhishang Technology announced the signing of a 2027 Demand Forecast Cooperation Memorandum with customer PH. The customer expects to purchase MPO fiber optic patch cords and other fiber optic connectors from the company in 2027, with a forecast target value of $500 million (approximately 3.346 billion yuan). C114 believes optical interconnect demand has expanded from optical modules and optical fiber cables to upstream optical components.

Lumentum CEO: 2029 Capacity Almost Fully Booked

Lumentum CEO Michael Hurlston said in an interview in Tokyo that about 70% of demand for some products will remain unmet next year, while other products still face a 30% demand gap through 2028. The company's 2029 capacity is almost fully booked, and it is ramping production at full speed.

Ethernet Optical Transceiver Market Forecast to Grow 120% in 2026

Lightwave reports a market forecast that the Ethernet optical transceiver market will grow 120% in 2026, driven by AI data center construction.

LightCounting: Ethernet optical module market forecast to grow 120% in 2026

LightCounting's latest report says growth in the Ethernet optical module market was originally expected to slow in 2026, but data from the first nine months defied expectations: cloud provider capital expenditures accelerated sharply from late January to early February and remained strong over the following six months. The full-year Ethernet optical module market is now forecast to grow 120%.

Hamamatsu and MEETOPTICS Partner to Integrate Scientific AI Chat

Hamamatsu Photonics and MEETOPTICS have announced a partnership to exclusively integrate MEETOPTICS' scientific AI chat tool into Hamamatsu's product portfolio, helping users find photonic devices.

Cellid Partners with Japanese Eyewear Retailer Megane Top to Commercialize AR Glasses

AR glasses display developer Cellid has partnered with Japanese eyewear retailer Megane Top to jointly develop and sell AR glasses.

XPANCEO partners with Contamac to advance AR contact lenses using FDA-cleared ophthalmic materials

Smart contact lens company XPANCEO has partnered with Contamac to advance the development of AR contact lenses using materials already used in FDA-cleared ophthalmic devices.

China Passenger Vehicle LiDAR Installations Reach 525,500 Units in August, with Hesai Just 65 Units Behind Huawei

Data from NE Times shows that LiDAR installations in Chinese passenger vehicles reached 525,500 units in August 2026. Hesai installed 182,436 units, just 65 fewer than Huawei, and the two together accounted for 69.4%. The growth logic is extending beyond simply adding vehicle models to multiple LiDARs per vehicle, robot perception and 3D spatial mapping.

AT&T and Corning Sign Multiyear Fiber Optic Cable Supply Agreement Worth More Than $3 Billion

AT&T announced a multiyear fiber optic cable supply agreement with Corning worth more than $3 billion in total. Corning will continue delivering fiber and cable for AT&T's home broadband expansion. AT&T said average monthly traffic per fiber user has surpassed 1 TB, five times the 2016 level.

Huiyu Ecology Subsidiary Junheng Technology Expands Wuhan Optical Module Base, Adding 2 Million Units of Capacity

Huiyu Ecology announced that its majority-owned subsidiary Wuhan Junheng Technology plans to build an R&D and production base in the Wuhan East Lake High-tech Development Zone, replacing and upgrading its existing annual capacity of 1.5 million units. Once completed, the project will add 2 million units of optical module capacity.

Largan Precision Buys Land Seven Times in Three Months, Spending CNY 8 Billion on CPO Fiber Arrays

On September 17, Largan Precision spent CNY 1.172 billion to acquire about 2,259 ping of land and 3,695 ping of buildings in Nantun, Taichung. This was its seventh real estate transaction since late June, bringing the total to CNY 8.078 billion. Chairman Lin Enping confirmed in July that the company had received its first fiber array order from a customer, with the land purchases paving the way for mass production in 2027.

Niantic Spatial Signs Visual Positioning System MOU with Singapore Land Authority

Niantic Spatial and the Singapore Land Authority have signed a memorandum of understanding to assess the technical feasibility of building Singapore's first national-scale Visual Positioning System (VPS).

Huawei Teams Up with Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics on AI + Optics; Ascend 960 SuperPod Uses NPO

Huawei and the Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics have signed a strategic cooperation agreement, making AI + optics a core focus, with Huawei pledging priority support in computing resources and AI teams. Earlier, on September 17, Huawei unveiled the Ascend 960 superpod using near-package optics (NPO) at Huawei Connect 2026, employing 5,500 in-house Hi-ONE optical engines.

Dinglong Expands into Optical Communications Materials

Dinglong said at an investor relations event that the explosive growth in AI computing demand is driving optical communications toward higher speeds, placing greater demands on key upstream materials. The company is therefore expanding into high-end core optical communications materials.

LiDAR's Big Three Reshape Their Strategies: RoboSense Sells Robot ODM Business, Seyond and Hesai Make Their Own Moves

RoboSense plans to sell its embodied robotics complete-machine business for RMB 59.878 million and focus on supplying key components to robot manufacturers. Seyond has signed a design win with Chuneng Automotive for a forward-facing primary LiDAR, while Hesai has also announced new moves in spatial intelligence.

Sunny Optics Invests in Zeno Robotics to Position Itself in Embodied AI

Sunny Optics has joined a seed funding round worth several hundred million yuan for Zeno Robotics and supplies companies including Unitree, extending its reach into the embodied AI supply chain under its Optics plus AI strategy.

Hongshi Intelligence and Tsinghua University Team Up on MicroLED Optics Challenges

Hongshi Intelligence has formed a strategic partnership with Cao Liangcai's team in Tsinghua University's Department of Precision Instruments to tackle the narrowing of light emission angles and optical energy losses in MicroLED microdisplay light sources, supporting lightweight optical engines for AI glasses.

Conant Optics Subsidiary Renamed, Sharpening Focus on Smart Glasses

Conant Optics' wholly owned subsidiary Jiangsu Lantu has been renamed Jiangsu Conant Intelligent Technology, focusing on the smart glasses business.

Eoptolink: NPO Products Expected to Ship in Volume in 2027

Eoptolink said at its interim results briefing that 1.6T and 800G are the main products this year, with NPO products expected to ship in volume in 2027.

Lumus Licenses Quanta to Mass-Produce Next-Generation Geometric Waveguides

Lumus and Quanta have signed a licensed manufacturing agreement to produce Z-30 2.0 and A-Lens waveguides with 30-degree and 50-degree fields of view.

Hesai, RoboSense and Seyond Half-Year Report Comparison

In the first half of 2026, RoboSense shipped 719,200 units, up 169.6% year on year, while Seyond shipped 450,900 units, up 364.8%. The article compares the scale, profitability and second growth curves of the three companies.

Even Realities Sues XGIMI; AI Glasses Crowdfunding Halted

Even Realities has sued XGIMI in the United States, halting the USD 1.2 million Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for its MemoMind One AI glasses.

SeeYA Technology H1 revenue surges 287.87%

SeeYA Technology reported H1 revenue of RMB 584 million, up 287.87% year on year, with losses narrowing to RMB 53.722 million and order backlog of about RMB 1.6 billion.

Innolight: NPO could see first shipments in 2027

Innolight said NPO could see its first shipments in 2027, and the share of overseas production capacity will increase.

T&S Communications CPO Supporting Products Enter Volume Production and Delivery

T&S Communications said its CPO supporting products have entered the volume production and delivery stage.

Cignal AI Raises OCS Market Forecast: Over $8 Billion by 2030

Cignal AI has raised its forecast for the optical circuit switch market, projecting that it could exceed $8 billion by 2030.

Nokia Bets on AI Optical Interconnect

Nokia is stepping up its optical interconnect business amid the AI supercycle.

2.282 Million LiDAR Units Installed in H1 2026; Huawei's 896-Beam Sets New Bar

LiDAR installations totaled 1.595 million units in 2024 and 3.316 million in 2025; 2.282 million units were installed in the first half of 2026, with Huawei's 896-beam LiDAR becoming the new benchmark.

Huiyan Technology Wins 80% of Apple Housing Inspection Orders

Huiyan Technology has secured about 80% of visual quality inspection orders for housings in Apple's supply chain.

LightCounting: Ethernet Optical Module Market to Grow 73% in 2026

LightCounting forecasts that the Ethernet optical module market will grow 73% in 2026.

O-Film and Luming Photonics Advance Solid-State LiDAR Mass Production Based on ADS6311

O-Film and Luming Photonics are deepening their collaboration to scale solid-state LiDAR deployment based on the ADS6311 SPAD chip.

Accelink Expects Revenue to Rise 52% to 71% in the First Half of 2026

Accelink has released its interim earnings forecast, expecting revenue of RMB 400 million to RMB 450 million in the first half of 2026, up 52.16% to 71.18% year on year, with net profit attributable to shareholders of RMB 48 million to RMB 52 million. The company attributes the growth mainly to deliveries of passive optical subcomponents for high-speed data center optical modules and OCS yttrium vanadate crystals, driven by global AI computing infrastructure construction. On capacity, phases one and two of the Hefei yttrium vanadate crystal project are at full production, the Thailand plant is ramping up, and the Zhengzhou plant is expected to begin production in the third quarter of 2026.

Google and HTC Sign Deal to Bring Part of HTC VIVE Engineering Team to Accelerate Android XR

Google has announced an agreement with HTC to bring part of the HTC VIVE engineering team into Google, with the deal subject to customary closing conditions. Google said the team has extensive VR experience and will help accelerate development of the Android XR platform across headsets and glasses ecosystems.