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Prototyping

Two hands gently place an AR glasses prototype onto a base for testing and evaluation.

From early-stage concepts to fully functional prototypes, our teams guide partners through every phase of AR glasses development, delivering designs ready for manufacturing.

A human factors researcher tests a custom adjustable head device to study how varying pressure levels relate to discomfort.

Industrial Design

Planning for functionality, aesthetics, and manufacturing

A human factors researcher tests a custom adjustable head device to study how varying pressure levels relate to discomfort.

AR devices must be wearable for long periods, fit a wide range of head shapes, and look and feel natural across an array of social  situations. Our industrial design process balances all of these elements through meticulous user testing, research, and materials.

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Device

Cross-discipline design and engineering

Group of engineers in a materials lab developing specialized materials through collaborative research.

We help bring AR glasses prototypes to life, starting with system-level thinking and refining every detail through design and engineering. Our team works across disciplines to create devices that balance performance, reliability, and user experience.

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Group of engineers in a materials lab developing specialized materials through collaborative research.

Design Scope

Concept Architecture

Every product starts with a strong foundation. Our teams define how components fit together, how signals and power move through the system, and what that means for your product’s future.

Hardware Engineering

Our expert engineering teams design AR hardware that’s durable, power-efficient, and comfortable, all while balancing thermal, structural, and electrical needs for daily use and manufacturability.

Integration Builds

Our designers bring hardware and software together from the start. With cross-functional expertise, we help partners select and integrate components seamlessly, reducing friction in prototyping and preparing designs for smooth manufacturing handoff.
3D scanner capturing a prototype of AR glasses for advanced testing and analysis.

Prototype

Rapid prototypes, real insights

3D scanner capturing a prototype of AR glasses for advanced testing and analysis.

Prototypes turn ideas into evidence. In our labs, engineers and designers work side by side to explore form, validate function, and test integration. It’s how we move fast, learn early, and optimize our designs.

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Prototyping Workflows

Audio Systems

In our advanced audio lab, audio engineers test spatial sound with real users. There we tune for clarity, comfort, and acoustic performance in everyday environments.

Electronics Prototyping

We build early versions of circuits and boards to test sensors, displays, and power systems long before the final product is ready.

Rapid Fabrication

Whether it’s 3D prints or CNC-machined parts, our teams can quickly build and iterate on designs to evaluate fit, function, and comfort to gather immediate design feedback based on user experience.

Validation Testing

In our labs, engineers put prototypes through stress, drop, and thermal tests to spot issues and fine-tune the design before partners scale up production.

Human-Centric

Engineering for human experience

A test subject sits in a human factors lab as a researcher captures a head scan.

Our human factors team designs with people in mind from the start. Using vision science, simulation tools, and hands-on testing, we make sure AR devices feel natural, fit comfortably, and work the way users expect.

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A test subject sits in a human factors lab as a researcher captures a head scan.

Human Factors and UX

Anthropometric Fit

Everyone’s different. We use our extensive database of headscans, facial data, and wearable studies to make sure devices are comfortable for as many users as possible.

Perceptual Testing

We study how the eye responds to light, motion, and depth so that visuals feel sharp, stable, and easy to look at for long sessions.

User Trials

Real users help us spot friction, discomfort, or confusion. That feedback goes straight into refining the product.

Automated Verification

We rely on robotic tools and optical testing to capture accurate data on comfort, fit, and visual quality, so decisions are based on evidence, not assumptions.
Technician calibrating Magic Leap AR prototype glasses using a custom-built calibration machine designed by Magic Leap.

Product Engineering

From designs to scalable reality

Technician calibrating Magic Leap AR prototype glasses using a custom-built calibration machine designed by Magic Leap.

From optical alignment and thermal comfort to materials and durability, every component and decision is tested for manufacturability and user impact. Our prototyping process allows for early validation of fabrication and manufacturing methods.

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Built for Resilience

Stability in motion

We design in the lab, and we think about how to build for the everyday. That means accounting for how devices shift, flex, and respond as the user moves through their day — from taking them on and off, to accidental drops along the way. Through ongoing stress testing, process refinement, and with the understanding of how people move, we’re working to ensure digital content stays right where it's expected.

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Design for Manufacturability

A glyph featuring a square resting inside a triangle with waves radiating away from it illustrates the movement of prototypes to manufacturability.

Design for Manufacturability and Assembly

We guide teams and suppliers to ensure every part and process is optimized for production, making devices easier to build, test, and inspect while reducing complexity and costs.
A glyph featuring a perforated square within a series of square waves extending off of it illustrates the concept of sequential testing and validation.

Test & Validation Design

We plan for testing early, building in features and access points that make it easier to verify the prototypes are assembled and functioning as intended.

Designing for AR Performance

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A link card element: Magic Leap engineer using a benching test unit to test Magic Leap waveguides.
Designing for AR Performance

Vision Systems

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A link card element: An exploded parts image, highlighting the components of an AR vision system.
Vision Systems