Mind Over Matter: Neural Control Comes to AI and AR Glasses

YOKNEAM ILLIT, ISRAEL – January 07, 2026 – The dream of controlling technology with a simple, subtle gesture is moving from science fiction to consumer reality. In a significant move to redefine human-computer interaction, Israeli tech firm Wearable Devices Ltd. has partnered with augmented reality pioneer Rokid. The collaboration, announced amid the flurry of innovation at CES 2026, integrates Wearable Devices' Mudra Link neural wristband with Rokid's ultra-lightweight AI and AR glasses, promising a future of touch-free, intuitive control.

The two companies are not only ensuring their products are compatible out of the box but are also planning to release a consumer bundle in the second quarter of 2026. This partnership aims to solve one of the biggest hurdles facing the burgeoning smart glasses market: creating an input method that feels as natural as thought itself. Live demonstrations at the Las Vegas tech show offered a compelling glimpse into this new era of interaction, where a flick of a finger, imperceptible to others, can navigate menus, answer calls, or access powerful AI features.

The Quest for an Invisible Interface

The market for augmented and artificial intelligence glasses is heating up, with major players like Apple, Meta, and XREAL vying for a permanent place on consumers' faces. Yet, for all their advanced displays and processing power, a common challenge persists: how to control them without clunky, awkward, or conspicuous actions. The industry has experimented with a range of solutions, each with its own trade-offs.

Voice commands, popularized by devices like Meta's Ray-Ban glasses, offer hands-free convenience but can be socially awkward in public and raise privacy concerns about constant listening. Direct hand tracking, a cornerstone of high-end mixed reality headsets like the Apple Vision Pro, requires users to hold their hands within a camera's field of view, leading to the well-known "gorilla arm" fatigue during extended use. Other AR glasses often rely on a tethered smartphone or a separate controller, which breaks the seamless experience they aim to provide.

This "input problem" has been a significant barrier to the mainstream adoption of smart glasses for anything beyond niche applications. For the technology to become a truly integrated part of daily life, the interface must become invisible. This is the challenge that the Wearable Devices and Rokid partnership directly confronts, shifting the control paradigm from overt physical action to subtle neural intent.

A Marriage of Mind and Machine

The new collaboration combines two distinct but complementary technologies. On one hand, there are the Rokid Glasses, which have earned acclaim for being the world's lightest full-featured AI and AR glasses, weighing a mere 49 grams. They are designed for all-day wear, providing a "quiet layer of assistance" through their Micro LED waveguide displays. The glasses pack a 12MP camera and integrated audio, running AI-driven functions like real-time translation across dozens of languages, AR navigation, and audio transcription, all accessible via voice commands.

On the other hand is the Mudra Link, a sleek wristband that represents the cutting edge of neural input. Instead of using cameras to watch the hand, the Mudra Link uses proprietary electromyography (EMG) sensors to detect the faint electrical signals sent from the brain down the wrist to the fingers. Advanced AI algorithms interpret these neural signals as discrete gestures—a subtle finger tap, a soft pinch, or a gentle swipe. These gestures can then be mapped to control virtually any Bluetooth-enabled device, from a smartphone to AR glasses.

"Smart glasses do not win on features alone. They win when control becomes second nature," said Asher Dahan, Chief Executive Officer of Wearable Devices, in the official announcement. "Together with Rokid, we are aligning compatibility, onboarding and joint marketing so consumers can experience a practical combination: Rokid Glasses for everyday AI utility and Mudra Link for subtle, wrist-based control that works without the user having to think about it."

The collaboration ensures that the two devices are ready for each other from the moment they are unboxed, featuring pre-mapped gestures and a shared, simplified setup process.

"Mudra Link adds an out-of-the-box input gesture control option that fits how people naturally move their hands," added Zoro Shao, Global General Manager of Rokid. "By collaborating to make the two products ready for each other, we simplify setup and make daily interactions more intuitive for users."

Carving a Niche in a Competitive XR Landscape

This strategic alliance positions the two specialized companies to carve out a unique space in the increasingly crowded extended reality (XR) market. By combining their strengths, they offer a compelling alternative to the vertically integrated ecosystems of tech giants. While Apple's $3,500 Vision Pro offers a deeply immersive but costly experience, and Meta's more affordable glasses focus on social capture and voice AI, the Rokid-Mudra bundle targets the middle ground: powerful, everyday AR utility enhanced by a revolutionary control scheme.

With the Mudra Link priced around $299 and the Rokid Glasses at $599, a potential bundle price in the sub-$900 range could appeal to a broad audience of early adopters, productivity-focused professionals, and consumers seeking practical tech enhancements. The value proposition is not just a pair of smart glasses, but a complete, synergistic system that solves a fundamental usability problem.

The timing, coinciding with CES 2026, is critical. The show floor was filled with competitors showcasing lighter designs, brighter displays from companies like Lumus, and a heavy emphasis on AI integration. By demonstrating a functional, intuitive control system today, Wearable Devices and Rokid are moving beyond theoretical concepts and delivering a tangible solution. This focus on practical application and seamless user experience could be their key differentiator as they prepare for their Q2 2026 consumer launch, challenging the notion that only the largest corporations can define the future of personal computing. The partnership exemplifies a trend toward collaborative ecosystems, where specialized innovation can create a product greater than the sum of its parts.