Grenoble-based ENGO has launched Engo Titanium, a pair of augmented reality (AR) glasses for runners and cyclists. Their 3D printed titanium structure brings the weight down to 28.9 grams.
Every gram counts in sports eyewear. Traditional sports glasses weigh between 25 and 40 grams without any electronics, so a smart device has about 15 grams left for its display, battery and sensors. ENGO tackled that limit with Engo Titanium.
Inspired by aeronautical design, the arms that hold the glasses (also called temples) were manufactured using metal 3D printing and titanium. The material helps the team save weight along with a few features such as a camera, and stereo speakers they did not include.
Instead, the company invested in battery life. With this battery, the glasses can reach more than 24 hours of continuous use per charge.
“With Engo Titanium we redefine what it means to wear performance glasses,” says Éric Marcellin-Dibon, co-founder of ENGO Eyewear. “Our design is so light and seamless that athletes forget they’re even there while still delivering the most relevant data, anticipating their needs, and keeping them fully focused.”
The glasses are built on ENGO’s light AR technology. A color OLED head-up display shows live performance data such as heart rate, pace and cadence, and users can customize more than 40 metrics through the companion app. Advanced widgets let athletes follow structured workouts like interval training and adjust their pace in real time without looking away from the road.
“The design aims to deliver the right data without breaking the athlete’s concentration,” Marcellin-Dibon adds. “For an endurance athlete or road cyclist, we believe that means the right information in your field of view, exceptional comfort and enough battery life to forget about the technology altogether.”
Engo Titanium costs €599, or €649 with photochromic lenses. It is produced in a numbered limited run of 500 units.
For context, metal 3D printed eyewear frames have been on the market for more than a decade, and luxury and custom-fit titanium frames are among the most mature consumer uses of additive manufacturing. That said, the fact that ENGO prints load-bearing titanium parts for a connected sports device where weight directly determines how much electronics fits make its glasses one of the few commercial examples of AM working as an enabler in smart eyewear.
*We curate insights that matter to help you grow in your AM journey. Receive them once a week, straight to your inbox. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
