Lancôme‘s Hapta, a smart makeup applicator designed for individuals with limited arm mobility, has been acknowledged in TIME Best Inventions 2023 for accessibility.
The device, which debuted at CES 2023, empowers people with limited arm mobility to independently apply makeup with precision and ease.By catering to those facing dexterity challenges, Lancôme Hapta (which translates to science of touch) by L’Oréal takes a significant step towards a more inclusive beauty industry.
Barbara Lavernos, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of L’Oréal Groupe, expressed pride in being selected for the fifth consecutive year in TIME‘s Best Inventions list. She emphasised L’Oréal’s commitment to the fusion of science and technology in beauty.
“It is an honour to be chosen for the fifth year in a row in the TIME Best Inventions of the year list, which showcases our belief that the future of beauty lies between science and technology,” she said. “Our unique, AI motion-learning Hapta innovation truly embodies our mission in L’Oréal, which is to create the beauty that moves the world. It is our utter dedication to ensure that all people in the world, no matter their motion limitations, can have access to our industry to achieve their unlimited desires.”
Guive Balooch, Global Managing Director of Augmented Beauty and Open Innovation at L’Oréal Groupe, highlighted the origin of Hapta, which emerged from a collaboration with Verily, Alphabet’s health tech division. He explained that Hapta leverages AI and motion-detection technology to enhance the range of motion for individuals with mobility challenges, aiding them in makeup application.
“Hapta was born out of an incredibly exciting project with Verily, Alphabet’s heath tech arm, to help people with mobility challenges by using AI and motion-detection to supplement their natural movements with improved range of motion to guide makeup application,” he said. “Lancôme Hapta is a great example of our Groupe’s values embodied in a Beauty Tech device that empowers an underserved population to more easily express themselves through beauty.”
Meanwhile, Françoise Lehmann, Global Brand President, Lancôme said: “Lancôme is proud to be among the brilliant innovations included in TIME’s Best Inventions 2023 list with Hapta. This innovation makes Lancôme’s commitment to inclusivity concrete, giving women with disabilities their confidence and independence back. Beauty is a universal pursuit, and with Hapta, we are now able to make it more accessible by offering equal access to it.”
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