Variable focus glasses

[armb]

Optical elements that change their refractive index because of an applied electric field aren't particularly new. But actually building them into a wearable pair of glasses is.

Well, it still looks a bit vapourware-ish, but it's an intriguing possibility. And the potential for going badly and permanently wrong should be much less than the "fix underlying short sightedness with laser surgery, then use reading glasses" approach. (I don't need bifocals yet, but no doubt the time will come. I might try going back to contact lenses again first.)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/7840034/Bye-bye-bifocals-hello-electronic-spectacles.html

(but see also http://eyeoverheard.wordpress.com/2009/08/27/pixeloptics-maybe-the-cupcakes-were-a-bad-idea-corporate-restructure-101/ )

Comments

[armb.livejournal.com]

My guess would be that you make sure that the no-voltage state is focus at infinity (but that doesn't rule out glitches leaving you unfocused in other failure modes).