Is Electronic-focusing Eyewear the Wave of the Future?

If you are in the stage of needing bifocals or progressive lenses, a new type of eyewear might prove to be a convenience for you. This eyewear has electronic-focusing lenses that correct for distance vision, and in addition they can be activated for reading mode by touching a corner of the frame. Some people are calling these "Smartphone glasses" due to the new innovation this eyewear has brought to the marketplace.

These electronic eyeglasses have tiny batteries and microchips in them that allow the wearer to activate three different modes: manual on, automatic and manual off. There are no visible moving parts or noises, and changes happen virtually instantaneously. What's more, a portable charger lets you power the glasses for 2-3 days with a single charge.

The magic behind this type of eyewear consists of a transparent liquid crystal layer in each lens that electronically activates the reading portion when the wearer needs it. (I guess you kind of "go with the flow" with these glasses!)

Picture this: You are experiencing difficulty with focusing your vision for reading, so you casually touch the temple of your glasses and trigger the near-focus zone. Finished reading? Another touch of the temple turns it off. No fishing out separate reading specs for you!

But wait - you want to be more automated than that? A swipe of the temple activates the Automatic mode so the near-focus zone turns on and off in response to up and down movements of your head.

The glasses are advertised to be shock resistant and waterproof.

I'm personally at the stage of needing cataract surgery and therefore not in the market for such eyewear at this time. If I were, however, I would definitely be interested in learning more about this new technology, including the cost. The glasses that are being sold at my eye clinic are EmPower electronic-focusing eyewear. I can't give this eyewear a review one way or the other since I haven't tried them, but I think they would be handy and that they are definitely "cool."

Electronic-focusing eyewear may be just the tip of the iceberg and the wave of the future when it comes to new eyewear technology. I only wish they had come along a number of years ago when I could have utilized them!