Part 3 of 3

In our last section on high-tech glasses we explore electronic lenses and how glasses can help spot health problems early and improve the lives of blind people.

Helping With Partial Blindness

Oxford University researchers are developing glasses which could lead to blind people having a better quality of life and preventing accidents. The frames have 2 tiny cameras set into them which alert the wearers by flagging up potential obstacles and transmitting them to them lenses. The lenses act as screens, flagging up objects to the user that could get in their way. Although not available yet and costing over $1,000 a pair they are still in the early stages, but the developers are hoping within 2 years they will be widely available.

Electronic Lenses

Regular vari-focals have 2 different powers in the lenses, allowing a wearer to use them for both close items and objects in the distance. But the wearer has to look through either the top or bottom of the lens and adjust their vision. Scientists have now developed electronic lenses which know if you are reading or looking into the distance and automatically adjust the lens power. These state of the art glasses have microchips and a battery, with liquid crystals within the lenses. If a user changes where they are looking a tiny current passes through the lenses which change the shape of the liquid crystals and make them thicker or thinner. They currently retail at about 10 times the price of a regular vari-focal, we can't see them hitting your local optical store anytime soon.

Spotting Autism

Lack of eye contact has been linked with a number of neurological conditions. So researchers in the states have come up with a set of frames that track eye-gaze. The tiny cameras in the glasses track eye movements, researchers believe this will help identify developmental delays sooner. Early detection can lead to earlier treatment which is thought to be more effective.

Part 2/3

In part 2 we explore more tech advancements within the vision industry and how they can help us!

Vampire Specs

They sound like something that belong in a horror movie, but these specs have lenses that enhance the color of the blood vessels under the skin and are quite useful to doctors at least. They come in purple, green or pink lenses, the green ones detect the amount of blood under the skin, whilst the purple ones highlight the purple veins in the skin. The manufacturer claims the version with pink lenses can detect changes in the skin associated with changes in emotion. Not so useful as the purple and green lenses but supposedly they can be used by security in airports to detect if a passenger is acting suspicious.

Hearing Glasses?

Yes we did say it right!, glasses that can help you hear. Each of these frames come with 4 tiny microphones in each arm. They pick up sound from the direction that the wearer is looking in whilst reducing background noise. The sounds are then relayed to each ear through a tiny tube-like earphone on either side. Although hearing aids use the same principles, the frames have a slight advantage as they are pointed in the right direction. Many of the hearing-impaired volunteers that tested the device actually preferred it to their hearing aids. Although currently they cost more then $2,000, we hope to see these come down to something mere mortals can afford in the future.

Glasses That Allow You To Get High

No we are not talking about drugs, these specs are for those of you that suffer from vertigo. If you get dizzy when standing on a ladder, you will love these next frames. Many people experience dizzy spells when looking down from even small heights. This is thought to be caused by balance sensors in the inner-ear or the brain. Researchers have come up with a novel solution to this problem, glasses that have spots on the side of the lenses. It is thought that giving the wearer something to focus on in their peripheral vision will ease their dizziness.

Part 1 of 3

For the last few hundred years glasses have been used as a tool used to help people to see better. They were purely a vision aid and even just a few decades back, those high prescription, jam-jar lenses certainly made you the victim of playground bullies. With the emergence of celebrity glasses wearers the social stigma has faded, with people even wearing them as non vision correction, fashion-frames. It's now 2013 and with technological advancements, researchers have been working with our beloved frames to kick them into the next century. In this feature we look at the tech advancements that are being applied to glasses and how they will make you sleep better, hear better and even feel happier.

Happy Specs

Recent research shows that altering the type of light coming into your eyes can have an effect on other parts of the body. So someone had the bright idea of creating a pair of frames that look like a pair of glasses crossed with a sun visor that contain eight lights inside that bathe your eyes in 'white light'. The white light in turn is meant to reduce seasonal affective disorder also known as SAD, a disorder which causes depression in those that lack sunlight in the winter. Researchers put this down to the white lights increasing the 'feel good' chemicals in the brain. Although you won't be seeing anyone walking around the mall in them anytime soon, luckily they only require a 25 minutes a day to feel their full effect. Finally a pair of glasses that make you happy!

Jet Lag Reduction

Researchers have shown that green light is the most effective at delaying or advancing the body clock. Hence why the researcher involved came up with frames called re-timers. On the expensive side at over $200, these nifty little specs have a green light that shines into the eye. They are supposed to be worn for 50 minutes a day, three days after flying. Apparently they could even be used for night shift workers and lazy teenagers, yeah good luck on that one!

Nightshift Extenders

For those of you lucky enough to have done a nightshift, you will also know the effects it can have on your body. Research has shown that knocking your body clock off sync and working when you should be sleeping can lead to health problems like heart disease, weight gain, depression and even cancer. These health effects are thought to be linked to the levels of melatonin, a key hormone in regulating the body clock. The production of melatonin increases once it's dark, but exposure to bright lights can delay this process. So someone invented lenses that could block specific wave lengths in order to normalize melatonin production. I know what you are thinking, lot's of night workers falling asleep on the shift. But it regulated melatonin levels whilst not effected a workers alertness or performance on the job.