American company Voy has developed ‘tunable’ glasses technology that allows the wearer to increase or decrease strength and focus depending on what they are being used for. The spectacles, described as “nano-precision glasses”, can be adjusted in seconds via a dial, with a range of between -5 for the short-sighted, to +2 for the long sighted.
As well as one pair being tunable to different wearers, the owner can also adjust them depending on their activity, from reading to driving.
The new product, which has been nominated for an innovation award at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world’s largest technology conference and exhibition, is not actually based on the latest technology in the world. In fact, Voy’s tunable glasses use technology developed in the 1960s by the Nobel prize-winning physicist Luis Walter Alvarez.
The technology is based on two polycarbonate plates on each side of the lens, which twisting a dial moves across each other. The strength of the glasses depends on the position of the plates.
It’s not even the first time strength-adjustable glasses have been developed. Oxford-based Adlens developed a comparable product in 2015, but subsequently pivoted into virtual-reality headsets and dropped the idea.
The CES will be online this year as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. That is also expected to influence a strong focus on technology in the public and private cleanliness and hygiene spaces. Next generation cleaning robots, for example, will feature strongly.
The U.S. arm of South Korean conglomerate LG will showcase Cloi, its new autonomous droid, which uses ultraviolet light to identify and disinfect higher risk spots around a building. Another company, Binatone, will unveil MaskFone, a facemask with integrated earbuds that allow phone calls to be made conveniently without the need to take the mask off.
Among the other products that will be on display at CES is one from U.S. start-up Ikin, which creates 3D holograms, visible in both light and dark conditions, from a smartphone. It can create 3D holograms of pictures in a phone’s photo album.
Ben Wood of technology researcher CCS Insight commented on this year’s alternative online CES with:
“The risk is that the news will be dominated by the companies with the biggest market budgets. This will contrast with previous CES events where small, relatively unknown companies can often break-through the noise based on a serendipitous encounter of the show floor.”
Thomas Husson, analyst at market research and intelligence company Forrester also thinks the lack of physical networking opportunities at this year’s event will be a negative for smaller companies showcasing new innovations, commenting:
“Physical networking usually enables both start-ups and large companies to meet prospects, generate leads, sign deals and create buzz. Standing out from the crowd and showcasing products will be tougher this year especially for the start-ups.”