ETRI moves to build domestic AI smart glasses ecosystem

South Korean research institutions and companies have joined forces to build an industrial ecosystem spanning core components, displays, spatial intelligence and AI services, aiming to secure an early lead in the next-generation wearable AI market.

The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) said Thursday it hosted the AI-In-Glass Forum 2026 on Tuesday at the Royal Hotel Seoul in Myeong-dong, where participants discussed ways to strengthen domestic AI glasses technology and industrial competitiveness.

The forum was organized as part of the "AI In-Glass Technology Development for Personal AI Agents" project, supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT. Participants came from industry, academia, research institutions and government, representing fields including core components, displays, devices, spatial intelligence, AI agents and application services.

AI glasses are next-generation personal AI devices that recognize the user's surrounding environment and deliver relevant information and services in real time. As device miniaturization, low-power technology, high-efficiency displays, spatial computing and generative AI continue to advance, the technology is expected to find growing use in industrial field support, remote collaboration, education and training.

Combining spatial intelligence — which interprets a user's location, gaze, nearby objects and surroundings — with AI agents could allow the technology to evolve into an intelligence platform that delivers context-appropriate information without requiring explicit commands.

ETRI has set this as the core direction of its AI-In-Glass initiative and is actively developing related technologies.

At the forum, KAIST professor Woo Wontack presented on the future of AI glasses under the theme "Symbiotic Augmented Intelligence." Kim Hyeon-bae, chief executive of Deepfine, spoke on AI glasses services and spatial intelligence, while Lee Myeong-hui, chief executive of Sapien Semiconductors, presented on display technology and its future.

Jeong Il-gwon, head of ETRI's AI In-Glass Strategy Research Center, unveiled the institute's research and development strategy, focusing on spatial intelligence, user and environment understanding, collaborative spatial information, AI agents and displays. He also outlined directions for technology development and field demonstration tied to industrial applications.

The central goal is to move beyond individual technology development and build a collaborative framework connecting everything from components to finished products and AI services.

ETRI plans to pursue a collaboration model that links lightweight and low-power technologies from core component and display companies with product development at device firms, while integrating software from spatial intelligence and AI companies. The institute also aims to connect foundational research from universities and research institutions with demonstration environments at demand-side organizations to improve commercialization prospects.

A panel discussion brought together representatives from ETRI, LIG, Phenecia, Kwangwoon University, Virnect and the Seoul XR Demonstration Center to discuss securing domestic core technologies, commercialization strategies, linkages with demand industries and ways to expand field demonstrations.

ETRI said it plans to use the forum as a springboard to expand its cooperative network among participating organizations and build a framework running from joint research and development through interoperability verification, field demonstration and commercialization. Through follow-up discussions, the institute will identify new collaborative projects and support the domestic AI glasses industry's push for technology independence and entry into global markets.

"For AI glasses to grow into a new industrial platform, core components, displays, devices, spatial intelligence and AI services must all advance together," said Lee Jeong-ik, director of ETRI's Spatial Media Research Laboratory. "We will develop this forum into a venue for substantive technology and business collaboration led by industry, and work to strengthen the competitiveness of South Korea's AI glasses ecosystem."