Meta has acquired the Belgian-Dutch firm Luxexcel, a 3D printing agency creating complicated glass lenses to be used in AR optics.
As first reported by Belgian newspaper De Tijd (Dutch), the Turnhout, Belgium-based firm was quietly acquired by Fb guardian Meta in an ostensible bid to bolster the event of its in-development AR glasses.
Particulars of the acquisition are nonetheless underneath wraps, nonetheless affirmation by Meta was obtained by English language publication The Brussels Instances.
“We’re delighted that the Luxexcel crew has joined Meta. This extends the partnership between the 2 firms,” Meta says.
Based in 2009, Luxexcel first centered on 3D printing lenses for automotive, industrial optics, and the aerospace business. Over time Luxexcel shifted to utilizing its 3D printing tech to create prescription lenses for the eyewear market.
In 2020, the corporate made its first entry into the good eyewear market by combining 3D printed prescription lenses with the mixing of expertise. One yr later, Luxexcel partnered with UK-based waveguide firm WaveOptics, which has since been acquired by Snapchat guardian Snap.
Meta’s curiosity in Luxexcel undoubtedly stems from its potential to print complicated optics for each good glasses and AR headsets; Meta’s Mission Aria is rumored to deal with Luxexcel-built lenses. Mission Aria is a sensor-rich pair of glasses which the corporate created to coach its AR notion methods, in addition to asses public notion of the expertise.