Smart Glasses That Instantly Adjust Focus
▼ Summary
– IXI is launching smart glasses that use eye-tracking and liquid crystal lenses to autofocus, aiming to improve upon traditional bifocal and varifocal lenses.
– The glasses eliminate fixed magnification areas, providing a larger reading zone that disappears to offer full-lens distance vision, unlike varifocals which have distortion and a narrow viewing channel.
– Key drawbacks include the need for overnight charging, some visual distortions at the lens edges, and pending safety testing for activities like driving.
– The glasses will be high-end, launching first in Europe after regulatory approval, with a limited initial selection of styles that resemble ordinary eyewear.
– While experts see the technology as feasible, questions remain about performance in low light, and other companies like Elcyo and ViXion are also developing similar autofocus eyewear.
A new generation of smart eyewear is poised to fundamentally change how we correct our vision. Finnish company IXI is preparing to launch glasses that look entirely ordinary but feature a remarkable capability: they automatically adjust their focus based on where the wearer is looking. This innovation aims to surpass the limitations of traditional bifocal and varifocal lenses by using dynamic, liquid-crystal technology to create a more natural visual experience.
The core technology relies on eye-tracking sensors and liquid crystals embedded within the lenses. These components work together to change the prescription instantly, eliminating the need for fixed magnification zones. Current solutions, like bifocals and their more modern varifocal counterparts, require users to consciously look through specific parts of the lens. While varifocals offer a smoother transition between distance and reading zones, they introduce peripheral distortion and require a costly adaptation period. IXI’s approach does away with this segmented design.
“Modern varifocals have this narrow viewing channel because they’re mixing basically three different lenses,” explained Niko Eiden, CEO of IXI. “There are areas of distortion, the sides of the lenses are quite useless, and you have to manage which part of this channel you’re looking at.” In contrast, the IXI glasses provide a significantly larger area for close-up vision, positioned optimally based on a standard eye exam. Crucially, this reading area disappears when not needed, allowing the entire lens to provide clear distance vision, a sensation Eiden compares to the vision people had in their youth before needing reading aids.
The internal mechanics are sophisticated. An array of photodiodes and LEDs uses invisible infrared light to track eye movement, determining the user’s focus point. The liquid crystals then reshape the lens prescription accordingly. While the company promises a design that withstands daily use, including temperature changes and moisture, specific performance conditions have not yet been fully detailed.
Naturally, this advanced functionality comes with certain trade-offs. The glasses will require overnight charging via a cleverly hidden magnetic port in the temple. Although the electronics add minimal weight, a recent prototype weighs just 22 grams, they introduce a new maintenance step. Some visual distortion is also present at the edges where the liquid crystal effect transitions, though the company states the sharp central area is sufficiently large for reading tasks. A key safety feature is a failsafe mode; if the electronics malfunction, the lenses default to the base distance prescription without creating visual disturbances.
The product is not yet certified for driving, and independent experts note that real-world performance questions remain. Ian Murray, a professor of visual neuroscience, called the concept “perfectly feasible from a physics viewpoint” but anticipates initial novelty status, with questions about the true field of vision and performance in low light.
IXI, which has raised over $40 million, plans a premium launch within the next year, with initial availability in Europe following regulatory approval. The company sees this as a watershed moment for an industry it views as stagnant. Eiden likens the shift to the advent of autofocus in photography, suggesting that in a decade, fixed-focus glasses may seem as antiquated as manual camera lenses. While other firms, like Japan’s Elcyo and ViXion, are exploring similar adaptive technology, IXI aims to deliver its innovation in a package indistinguishable from conventional eyewear, potentially setting a new standard for visual correction.
(Source: CNN)
