Forget Bifocals: New Smart Glasses Change from Long Distance to Reading Mode

By Alice Hill
RealTechNews

Alas….just as we started covering how cool and knowing the technically inclined really are, from science fiction’s far reaching imagination, to new high tech break-throughs in the restaurant industry, but here come the clunky ugly glasses again. Luckily, these are smart glasses that auto focus so you can see like a microscope or eagle or Superman. And when you consider that bifocals haven’t improved since Benjamin Franklin, this was a break-through long in the making.

We Say: love the concept, but let’s get someone from the fashion industry to weigh in on that frame design.

Glasses that change from “long distance” to “reading” mode at the flick of a switch could prove a revelation for many wearers. Researchers have developed a prototype that uses liquid crystals to change focus in an instant, thus preventing the eye strain induced by wearing conventional bifocal glasses. Focusing through specific portions of a bifocal lens causes many users to become dizzy or disoriented, while others report increased eye fatigue.

“Bifocals effectively work the same way they have since they were invented by Benjamin Franklin,” says Nasser Peyghambarian, a professor of optical sciences at Arizona State University, US, who helped develop the “dynamic” glasses. “But as any of more than 40 million people in America who need bifocals know, they’re a pain.” Source: New Scientist