Smart glasses have been available in various forms for nearly a decade and some tech pundits speculate that lightweight virtual reality glasses will be with us shortly – perhaps within months. Futuristic though they may be, these eyewear advances represent the latest stages in an evolutionary process that is centuries-old.
Humans have been using eyewear to protect and enhance vision for the past 1,000 years, with some of the earliest forms being the snow goggles worn by the Inuit and the Yupik peoples of the Arctic. From the hand-held magnifying lenses used by Italian artists and scholars in the 13th Century, to the invention of bifocal lenses by American statesman and inventor Benjamin Franklin in 1784, eyewear technology has advanced enormously over time.
Lenses, in particular, have changed more over the past 20 years than in the previous 200 years. In part, this is a result of the rapid advances in computing power over the past two decades – optical calculations can be long and difficult, so every increase in the speed of computers boosts lens-making capabilities.
OPSM optometrist Elizabeth Kodari finds the development of progressive lens technology among the most fascinating of recent eyewear innovations.
“Starting as a son’s desire to rid his father of bifocals, Dr Bernard Maitenaz’s invention of progressive lenses is now widely used to assist with the correction of presbyopia,” Elizabeth says, referring to the gradual loss, with age, of the eyes’ ability to focus on nearby objects. “It still fascinates me how much eyewear technology has improved over the years and how one pair of lenses can allow the patient to see clearly in all fields of vision. The use of digital technology has made the flow of vision from distance to near as fluid as possible.”
Highlighting one product in this area, Elizabeth says, “Essilor’s Varilux® progressive lenses are digitally designed and allow patients to see seamlessly and clearly at all distances with the bonus of ensuring multiple objects within arm’s reach are clear for the wearer with virtually no need for head movement. They provide some of the most natural and fluid vision in our progressive lens range, especially with this extended arm’s length vision.”
Customers should take advantage of recent advances in lens technology and strongly consider investing in the latest designs, Elizabeth says. “The innovations that have taken place in premium lenses are not only about correcting eyesight, but also offering a more personalised solution based on an individual patient’s needs,” she says. “With the additional measurements we take to assess how glasses are worn, lenses are truly customised for each patient.”
Today, many lenses are created digitally so they can include more visual data, which helps to increase clarity across the whole lens. As part of OPSM’s Clarifye Digital Eye Test, a patient’s prescription can be determined at the extremely fine level of 0.01D (D= dioptre, the unit of measurement for lens power).
It's not just those with imperfect eyesight that can benefit from cutting-edge lens technology. “The danger of ultraviolet or UV radiation has become well understood over the past two decades,” Elizabeth says. To shield UV rays while enhancing colours and contrast, Elizabeth suggests Oakley Sunglasses with Prizm Technology, which are available in prescription and non-prescription varieties. Not only do these provide excellent UV protection which is important for our eye health, Elizabeth says, “They are designed to bring out more details in what the wearer will see in their environment.”
Beyond UV, Elizabeth says, “In recent years, researchers have been looking at ways to relieve eye fatigue, especially in relation to the use of the digital devices that we’ve become so accustomed to.”
For those of us who spend hours each day in front of a laptop or smartphone, Elizabeth recommends Eyezen® lenses from Essilor®. “They’re a single-vision lens that provide optimal vision all day long with better visual comfort, contrast and clarity,” she says. “They’re designed to relax the eyes, with the added benefit of near vision optimisation, especially for patients who still experience symptoms during regular use of digital devices or screens even while wearing their ordinary glasses.”
Blurring the line between our omnipresent devices and eyewear, we’re now seeing developments materialise that until recently, would have seemed the stuff of science fiction. Of the next-level innovations hitting the market, Elizabeth says she’s especially excited by the arrival of Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses and sunglasses, which were launched in September 2021. “The day has finally come where I can still remain in the moment, not holding my phone out and playing back everything I looked at from my own eyes’ perspective,” Elizabeth says of this remarkable hi-tech eyewear, developed by Ray-Ban in partnership with Meta.
Allowing you to shoot still images, record videos and audio, take calls and listen to music, these wearable digital wonders nevertheless continue to do what Ray-Ban have always done: block the sun, and make you look immeasurably cooler. For all our advances, thankfully, some things never change.
-
Disclaimers
* All glasses are manufactured using an industry standard tolerance range. This tolerance range is greater than 0.01D. It has not yet been proven that glasses manufactured using the 0.01D Clarifye prescription will be more precise or help you see better than glasses using the 0.25D traditional prescription.
