Electronic Eyeglasses Change Prescription On Command

Had enough of having multiple pairs of glasses lying around for different activities? A new breed of spectacles modifies your sight for every occasion.

Maybe you need multiple pairs of eyeglasses for different situations. That's pretty wasteful. Or maybe you find that your glasses only help in certain situations. That's inconvenient. Electronic eyeglasses that change prescription on command may be the solution to all of your eye woes.

Developed by a company called PixelOptics, emPower electronic focusing eyewear does exactly what it sounds like: change prescription with help from a microprocessor that alters the transparent liquid crystal lense. The technology, which has been in development for years, doesn't come cheap--the glasses start at $1,250. But according to PhysOrg, people who have tried the emPower glasses are impressed. Daniel Quon, a California-based optometrist, explains:

Wearers of traditional progressive lenses frequently complain that the ground looks blurry when they look down, as their vision is channeled through the close-up portion of the lens, Quon said. That can make it difficult to navigate stairs or hit a golf ball. The first time he wore the new glasses and walked down stairs, he was amazed: "Oh my God, I could see the stairway clearly."

Source: fastcompany.comAdded: 13 October 2011