Visually impaired people, who have to wear glasses, come across certain inconveniences. For some people it can be difficult to see objects at close distance whereas others have to use another pair of glasses to descry something from afar. Thankfully, scientists from University of Utah came up with the solution to this problem.
American researchers invented the glasses which changing focus themselves depending on the distance to the object that the user is looking at. The glasses are fitted with liquid lenses. They consist of two thin, flexible and translucent membranes and a glycerine layer between them. On the back, there are special mechanical drivers which push and bend the lenses. That way, focus changes. Plus, the frame has a built-in infra-red distance meter and other electrical stuff.
Before using the glasses, they must be calibrated appropriately. For that, there is the accompanying app, available for iOS and Android mobile devices. The glasses are connected with a smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth.
Right now, scientists demonstrated only a prototype which doesn’t look particularly suitable for wearing. There’s still a lot of work to do and we’ll probably see this device ready for use in about 3 years. Nevertheless, it’s always nice to see how technology can help people in all spheres of life.
