NIMO’s First Smart Glasses Set to Launch: 0.03cc Optical Engine, Designed for All-Day Wear

On March 30, smart glasses brand NIMO is set to officially launch its first smart
glasses product. Departing from the industry’s common approach of packing in
excessive hardware, the product employs an ultra-compact optical engine measuring
just 0.03cc and a distributed weight-balancing design. It aims to address the long-
standing pain points of smart glasses, namely, wearing comfort and everyday usability
and drive the evolution of traditional prescription glasses toward smart technology.
In terms of core hardware configuration, NIMO has concealed an optical engine
weighing less than 0.1g within the glasses’ hinge; its volume is just one-fifth that of a
standard optical engine. The display system utilizes a 2.5-micron pitch Micro LED
panel, combined with a ceramic substrate and LGA independent packaging
technology to significantly enhance heat dissipation. To balance information access
with privacy protection, the glasses employ volumetric holographic waveguide
technology, ensuring the display is visible only to the wearer. Additionally, the device
features a camera-free design, enabling compliant use in privacy-sensitive scenarios
such as meetings, education, and private spaces.
To meet the demands of all-day, everyday wear, NIMO has optimized the product’s
structural design. By positioning the optical engine, micro-battery, and sensors in the
hinge, the ends of the temples, and the sides respectively, the frame and temples
achieve a 50:50 weight distribution. The temples are crafted from β-titanium alloy
with outward-expanding elasticity and incorporate a custom-designed micro-steel-
cased battery. While maintaining the slim profile of standard eyewear, the device
offers a battery life of approximately 48 hours under typical usage conditions and has
passed reliability tests including needle penetration, drop tests, and high-temperature
exposure.
Reportedly, the NIMO founding team possesses nearly two decades of R&D
experience in optical displays and consumer electronics. Its backers include
traditional eyewear industry companies with an annual shipment capacity of tens of
millions of units and a network of over a thousand physical retail stores. In terms of
commercialization plans, these smart glasses support a wide range of prescription
customization, including correction for up to 800 degrees of myopia, 200 degrees of
hyperopia, and astigmatism. The product will primarily be sold through offline
eyewear retail channels in the future to validate the market viability of transitioning
smart glasses from a concept product to a mainstream consumer item.