Stanford University has a team of researchers that have successfully created an eyewear that can auto-focus wherever you look. The special eyeglasses track the movement of your eyes and automatically focuses on the object you are currently looking at.
Autofocals is a Better Option
They used the so-called autofocals to prove a more reliable solution than transition lenses or progressive lenses. As we age, our ability to focus on nearby objects deteriorates as the lenses in our eyes get stiffer. This is called presbyopia, an eye condition that affects people around the ages of 45 and above.
This is one of the most common reasons why adults have to start wearing reading glasses, monovision glasses, or progressive lenses to see better.
However, these types of lenses are not the most ideal eyewear because they require you to move your head unnaturally just to see clearly. For example, you have to crane your neck to look at side mirrors while driving since progressive lenses may not be effective on peripheral focus.
Autofocals Glasses and How It Works
The special eyeglasses are created in accordance with the human eye function. The autofocal lenses are packed with fluid that expands and contracts as your field of vision shifts. They have inserted eye-tracking sensors to determine where you are looking at.
As a disclaimer, the researchers stated that autofocal lenses and trackers are already existent by the time of their experiment. The researchers used these resources to create software that interprets the data from the eye tracker to make sure the lenses properly focus on the right object.
The Experimental Stage
Nonetheless, we could be waiting a few more years before the autofocals are available from your optometrists. The experimental glasses are still on the initial stages where being handy is not an option yet. Although agreeing with its effectiveness, the participants of the study frowned on the size and weight of the autofocal system. It currently looks more like a virtual reality headgear than a pair of designer frames.
If other brands have successfully packed smart glasses technology into normal-looking frames, it is certainly possible for autofocals to be a modern and fashionable option down the line. Plus, a single pair of autofocals may be enough to last for decades even as your prescription changes. As the researchers sat, this technology can change billions of lives in a meaningful way that techno-gadgets never will.
