A discreet technology, designed for people, not for applause

A discreet technology, designed for people, not for applause

At CES 2026, among the dozens of stands promising the future in neon colors, there was also a less strident one, but with a story that caught the attention of those looking for meaningful technology. There, they presented their work from dotlumen, a startup that has been working for several years on a device designed to give more freedom to blind people.

They didn’t come with fireworks, holograms or exaggerated promises. They came with a pair of glasses that try to solve a real problem: the mobility of those who cannot see.

In the world, very few blind people have access to a guide dog. Not because they don’t need it, but because the process is expensive, slow and limited. dotlumen tries to offer a technological alternative, one that doesn’t replace a guide dog, but rather offers an option where there is no other.

Their glasses are not a futuristic gadget, but a practical tool. The device “reads” the surrounding environment through sensors and interprets it with the help of artificial intelligence. The user does not receive maps, coordinates or complicated instructions, but intuitive signals: vibrations indicating the direction, sounds suggesting the distance to an obstacle. Everything happens locally, without GPS and without the Internet, so that the device works anywhere, anytime.

dotlumen does not promise quick launches or talk about imminent revolutions. The team is still working on refining the product, testing and obtaining the necessary certifications. The road to a commercial launch is long, but the direction is clear- a discreet technology that will help blind people move more freely.