Rokid Inc., a global leader in AI glasses, has officially launched general sales of the “Rokid Smart AI Glasses” in Japan starting July 10, 2026. The background is the overwhelming support for setting a new all-time crowdfunding record, and the growing social acceptance of this new interface utilizing generative AI.

General distribution and crowdfunding achievements at 75 stores nationwide

Rokid Inc. began full-scale general sales of the “Rokid Smart AI Glasses” on July 10, 2026, through Future Model Inc., the official distributor in Japan. Sales channels are diverse; offline, it will be rolled out sequentially at 75 major electronics retailers nationwide such as Bic Camera, Yodobashi Camera, and Edion, while online products have begun to be available not only on the official store but also on Amazon and Rakuten Ichiba.

The pre-sale project on the support purchase service “Makuake,” conducted ahead of this general sale, left a significant mark on the history of crowdfunding in Japan. Over the approximately three months from February 26 to May 30, 2026, it gathered a massive support purchase amount totaling 636,736,060 yen from 7,413 supporters, setting a new record for the highest number of projects on the platform among over 50,000 projects. The following image shows the installation of the product in Japan.

Mr. Qu Liang, President and CEO of Future Model, has focused on the potential of AI glasses as the next interface after smartphones, drawing on his own experience witnessing the widespread adoption of the iPhone. Leveraging the design capabilities and user perspective cultivated through businesses such as translation devices and GPS trackers, we have established sales, distribution, and customer support systems in the Japanese market.

Key functions as an “AI assistant” that is completed within your field of vision

The biggest feature of the Rokid Smart AI Glasses is their immersive AI experience, where all you need is displayed in your field of vision just by looking and speaking. The device is equipped with multiple advanced AI models such as GPT-5 and Gemini, designed as a next-generation device that updates every everyday scene.

Specific features include the following:

• Real-time translation in 89 languages and voice interaction support in 12 languages

• AI search and AI assistant functions that analyze visual information and provide answers

• AI meeting minutes feature that records and transcribes meeting content, including summaries.

• FPV Shooting and AR Navigation Enable First-Person Perspective

Mr. Koku aims to reduce smartphone usage time by 30–50% in the future with this device, proposing specific use cases such as hands-free filming while holding a child or real-time interpretation that allows interpretation while looking into the other person’s eyes during overseas business trips. Furthermore, in Japan, active investments are being made to create an environment where users can fully utilize AI features and translation functions in the first year, such as waiving operating costs for the first year.

Hands-free payment through partnership with Ant International

To further enhance its practicality as a wearable device, a strategic partnership with Ant International was announced to integrate payment functions. This is part of the world’s first open-ecosystem AI smart glasses that were unveiled globally at CES 2026, as part of the functional expansion.

This integration will implement an embedded payment solution designed for smart glasses, “Alipay+ GlassPay.” Users can complete payments by combining various actions such as the following, without switching to a handheld device.

• AI-powered voice interface operation

• Interaction based on intent understanding

• Execution of QR code scanning with cameras

• Ensuring Security Using Biometric Authentication

Alipay+ is a global network connecting over 150 million merchants across more than 100 markets, and this partnership significantly reduces friction in everyday payment scenarios such as retail purchases, travel transactions, and cross-border purchases. This aims to establish AI glasses as practical financial tools in everyday life, going beyond mere gadgets.

OS deployment and building a proprietary ecosystem

Proprietary OS “YodaOS” and a platform where apps continue to grow

Rokid has launched a strategy to evolve smart glasses not as standalone hardware but into an “AI platform” with continuously increasing applications and AI agents. At the core of this is the world’s first AI operating system dedicated to smart glasses, “YodaOS (AIOS).”

CEO Zhu Mingming likens the current smart glasses industry to the “BlackBerry era before the birth of the iPhone,” emphasizing that platformization is essential for true adoption. With the deployment of AIOS, ecosystems are being built through the following “Agent Store.”

• Providing a platform where developers and partner companies can freely offer their own AI agents.

• Options for a wide range of uses, including translation, meetings, navigation, tourism, education, and entertainment.

• A system where users can download and use AI agents according to their needs

While traditional AR devices tended to pack in many features, Rokid emphasizes a “de-down” strategy focused on AI interaction. By optimizing the AI experience at the OS level, considering physical constraints such as weight and battery life, it aims to evolve into devices that naturally blend into users’ lives. The diagram below illustrates the concept of an ecosystem through AIOS.

The impact of “PettiChat,” which enables conversations with pets

As the first flagship service of the platformization phase, the AI agent “PettiChat,” which supports two-way communication with pets, was introduced. This is a completely new form of AI experience made possible by AI sharing users’ visual and auditory information.

The main features of PettiChat are as follows:

• Analysis based on training data from over one million dog and cat meows and behavior data

• A function that translates your pet’s meow into words that are easy for humans to understand.

• Converting human voices into forms that are easily understood by pets, enhancing interactivity

• Considerations for everyday use such as real-time response, positioning, lightweight design, and waterproof capability

For owners who previously could only guess their pets’ emotions, being able to receive concrete messages through AI glasses is a groundbreaking innovation that strengthens family bonds. With the emergence of unique AI agents that meet such “specific strong demand,” the scope of AI glasses’ applications is expected to rapidly expand from business scenarios to personal hobbies and home life.

Challenges for social implementation and market prospects

Thorough Privacy Protection and Efforts to Rebuild Trust

Behind the rapid spread of AI glasses, serious challenges such as lack of privacy protection and technology ethics have also come to light. Within China, it was revealed that videos of flight attendants and passersby were being posted on official communities, and that “blackout stickers” to hide indicator lights meant to notify filming were openly sold, leading to intense public criticism.

In response to this controversy, Rokid has announced strict improvement measures and security enhancements to fulfill its corporate social responsibility, including:

• Removal of violating content and a fundamental overhaul of the community review system

• Request to suspend sales of blackout stickers to e-commerce platforms

• Upgrading sensor components and defense algorithms in new products

• Prevention of information leakage to third parties by equipping the “automatic data erasure function in case of loss”

In particular, the automatic data erasure feature in case of loss is a revolutionary mechanism that forcibly erases photos, videos, and audio data from the device when a third party tries to log in with a different account. To regain lost social trust, the good use of technology and thorough compliance are essential, and Rokid positions these challenges as trials that the entire industry must overcome.

Market Expansion in 2030 and the Significance of the ‘1 Billion Yen Investment in the Japanese Market’

The smart glasses market is currently experiencing explosive growth. According to estimates by Mitsubishi Research Institute, the global market size for consumer smart glasses has the potential to reach approximately $27.27 billion by 2030 (under the upside scenario), from about $3.33 billion in 2025. The year 2026 is also called the “Year of Smart Glasses,” and the market is rapidly moving toward commoditization.

Rokid positions Japan as a globally important market and is implementing large-scale strategies such as the following:

• Building an ecosystem through a 1 billion yen investment in the Japanese market

• Launch of the ‘Rokid Japan Tour,’ an experiential pop-up tour visiting five cities: Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka

• Implementation of SNS Challenges to Encourage the Sharing of UGC (User-Generated Content) in Multiple Languages

• Strengthening cloud services through integration with Google Cloud and others

Combining high practicality with natural wearability, the Rokid Smart AI Glasses are establishing themselves as “always-on AI assistants” that continuously support user behavior, evolving from mere devices for displaying information. In Japan as well, it is expected to become a catalyst for new innovations in workplaces where labor shortages and DX are required, such as education, tourism, interpretation, fieldwork, and creative production. Finally, you can check the schedule of tours held in five cities nationwide in the image below.

[#Rokid #スマートグラス #生成AI #AR #ガジェット #フューチャーモデル #科学技術 #AIエージェント]