- Title: Swipe to re-focus: glasses go digital
- Date: 15th June 2021
- Summary: VIEW THROUGH 32°N LENSES WHILE THEY ARE SWITCHED OFF AND ON
- Embargoed: 29th June 2021 11:33
- Keywords: 32°N adaptive focus sunglasses Deep Optics Digital glasses app-controlled liquid crystal lens sunglasses
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK / UNKNOWN LOCATION
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK / UNKNOWN LOCATION
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Europe,Science
- Reuters ID: LVA006EHIJ4P9
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Forget constantly changing your glasses in the summer. An Israeli start-up has developed 'digital' glasses where liquid crystal lenses turn your sunglasses into reading glasses, of any prescription, with a simple swipe.
Developed by Tel Aviv-based Deep Optics and unveiled today (June 15), the technology is fitted in a pair of sunglasses, called 32°N, with the first adaptive focus lens that can be adjusted in real time as the user wears them.
"This is actually the first adaptive-focus sunglasses. Sunglasses that can adapt to both reading and scenic modes," CEO and co-founder of Deep Optics, Yariv Haddad, told Reuters.
"Basically you can wear them... and simply by swiping you can change the focus of the glasses from far distance to reading, just by swiping."
The 32°N sunglasses feature pixelated liquid crystal layers that are split into tiny pixels, capable of rotation at every point of the panel.
When the user swipes, they activate a processor embedded in the glasses' temple which sends the user's prescription to each pixel to form the correct lens.
"We're splitting this liquid crystal layer inside the lens into millions of tiny pixels and we're controlling the refractive index of each individual pixel so that when we apply certain profile of voltage we're basically creating a different lens," Haddad said.
The company says the system uses very low power and will last all day on a single charge.
32°N have now gone on sale for early adopters, priced at $229.
(Production: Stuart McDill) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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