Electronic eyeglasses offer a piece of the future

June 21, 2010

Electronic eyeglasses may be introduced to the United States market as early as this fall, giving ordinary eyeglass wearers a new option when it comes to corrective products, The Telegraph reports.

Traditional bifocals use two different lenses to help people who have issues seeing both near and far, but these new eyeglasses may eliminate that need altogether.

The new spectacles have lenses that adjust themselves when a small electrical current passes through them, allowing the wearer to change the focus of the lenses when looking at objects from different distances.

There is a layer of liquid crystals in each lens that alters their refractive properties when the aforementioned current is applied.

"Liquid crystals can change their refractive index when an electrical charge is put through them, so wearers can switch between distance and reading in the time it takes to blink," Peter Zieman, sales director for the company that has developed the eyeglasses, told the news source.

The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends adults have their eyes checked at least once a year to stay on top of changes in their vision that may require a new prescription.