Anyone who uses multifocal glasses for near reading and distance vision is familiar with the daily nightmare: They must look through the lower part of the lenses to read text, and search for the upper area of the glasses to see clearly at a distance. Many people are unable to use these glasses at all, as the transition between different zones of the lenses causes dizziness and nausea. But a new development promises to change all of that.
At the CES exhibition held recently in Las Vegas, one of the most intriguing innovations in the field of vision in recent years was presented: Glasses with automatic focusing lenses designed to replace the familiar multifocal lenses. This is a development by IXI, a European start-up seeking to innovate in a field considered particularly conservative, and one that has not undergone a fundamental change since the mid-20th century.
The glasses are primarily intended for people aged 45 and over, a large population that suffers from age-related farsightedness. Today, as noted, many are forced to adapt to multifocal or bifocal lenses, in which the viewing zones are fixed and sometimes cause distortion, dizziness, and difficulty adjusting. The new solution aims to eliminate this separation and allow a single lens to automatically adapt to the distance at which the gaze is focused at any given moment.
The technology is based on a combination of an eye-tracking system and ultra-thin liquid crystal lenses. The glasses detect a change in focus, for example a transition from reading on a phone to looking into the distance, and adjust the optical prescription almost instantly. Unlike other smart glasses systems, there is no use of cameras or heavy image processing here, but rather an energy-efficient infrared system.
Integrated into the frame are LED emitters and photoelectric sensors that emit invisible infrared light and measure its reflection from the eye. This makes it possible to identify subtle eye movements and the convergence of both eyes during near focusing. According to the company, the system’s power consumption is particularly low, about 4 milliwatts, a figure that enables a full day of use on a single charge.
The lenses themselves are made of thin layers of liquid crystals combined with a transparent conductive layer. Changing the electrical voltage causes the lens to alter its refractive properties within a fraction of a second. Their minimal thickness makes it possible to integrate the technology into standard optical lenses, including correction for cylinder and astigmatism, without the need for thick or cumbersome lenses.
One of the central emphases of the development is design. Unlike other smart glasses that highlight electronic components or displays, these frames look like ordinary prescription glasses. Most of the electronic components are integrated into the front of the frame and into the arms near the hinges. The batteries, similar in size to those used in wireless earbuds, are charged via a small connector in the arm of the glasses.
According to the company, even if the battery is depleted, the glasses continue to function as regular prescription glasses with the base correction, but without the added near-focus enhancement. This means there is no absolute dependence on the electronic operation for everyday use.
The tracking system has additional potential beyond improving vision. The sensors detect blink rate, gaze direction, and patterns of eye use. This data could be used to assess fatigue, attention, dry eyes, and even posture and neck movement patterns. The information is expected to be displayed in a companion app, but at this stage it is general data and not a medical diagnostic tool.
The company notes that in the future it may be possible to develop more advanced capabilities, such as dynamic adjustment of the prescription throughout the day, for example strengthening the correction during periods of visual fatigue. This is a direction that has not yet been tested in commercial products in the field of optics.
To bring the product to market, the company must obtain regulatory approvals in the medical device field and complete manufacturing processes. To this end, a partnership has been signed with the Swiss lens manufacturer Optiswiss. According to the statements, the glasses will be positioned in the premium category and sold through opticians, similar to luxury eyewear. The company estimates that the first commercial launch will take place during the coming year. If the product lives up to expectations, it may offer a new alternative for millions of users and raise a question mark over the future of multifocal lenses as they are known today.