Autofocusing Smart Glasses With Eye Tracking Tech Could Make Bifocals Obsolete

Submitted ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨artifex@piefed.social⁩ to ⁨technology@lemmy.world⁩

https://hothardware.com/news/autofocusing-smart-glasses-with-eye-tracking-tech-could-make-bifocals-obsolete

Exciting news for those enough who are 40+ and spend too much time in front of a computer screen: a Finnish startup called IXI is promising to end the era of clunky bifocals and the ‘head-tilt’ struggle of progressive lenses, replacing them with a pair of glasses that focus as naturally as the human eye using a combination of infrared eye tracking and liquid crystal-transparent indium tin oxide glasses

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PierceTheBubble@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Honestly, the tech seems quite impressive. But I wouldn’t touch Amazon-backed smart glasses, which “could also provide health insights, such as detecting dry eyes or monitoring posture”, with a ten-foot pole; especially when there’s also entirely passive bifocals and progressives.

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buttmasterflex@piefed.social ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Yeeeeaaaahhhh, I’m going to go ahead and stick with a one time payment for proven 250+ year old technology instead of what would very likely be a subscription based privacy nightmare that can revoke my access to clear sight whenever they update their T&Cs. Hard pass, get fucked with a splintery utility pole.

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- GreyEyedGhost@piefed.ca ⁨24⁩ ⁨minutes⁩ ago
  If you think glasses are a one-time cost, I feel like you’ve never worn glasses. I had 10 years in my life where my vision didn’t change, and now I need bifocals/progressives. Given the nature of the condition, I expect to have to get new prescriptions every 2 to 4 years until I die or go blind.
  
  That said, the rest of your comment is quite likely painfully true, especially if Amazon has their fingers in it.
  
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- MummifiedClient5000@feddit.dk ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  But just imagine what it can do for personalized ads. Why won’t anyone think of the advertisers?
  
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- E_coli42@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Subscription based? Why would something like this even have internet connectivity in the first place, let alone a subscription?
  
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  - buttmasterflex@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    Bold assumption on my part here, but why would the manufacturer of such a juicy target for tracking not make it with connectivity? Something like this would be monetized and milked for advertising and subscription revenue on principle alone. Eye tracking technology that determines vision clarity based on where the user looks is but a small skip and a jump from advertising based on where the user looks.
    
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mp3@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago
The part that worries me is what happens when the glasses batteries are empty. Do they get fall back to “long-distance / myopia” mode so that you can still see at at distance and able to drive?

I love tinkering with gadgets, but sometimes the manufacturers of these tech-based version forget to cover the basics before enhancing it with tech.

A good example are smartwatches. They can be filled with sensors, but they need to at least do one thing well, and that is to show time reliably.

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- Maestro@fedia.io ⁨43⁩ ⁨minutes⁩ ago
  Per another commenter (and the article):
  
  When the battery dies, the glasses continue to function as a traditional pair of single-vision specs, ensuring the wearer is never left in the dark or have safety compromised such as when driving or operating machinery.
  
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AbidanYre@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Clunky bifocals?

Vs the battery, camera, and focusing mechanism these are going to need?

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- SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago
  Image
  
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  - Maestro@fedia.io ⁨44⁩ ⁨minutes⁩ ago
    Are these the auto-focus ones? If so, that's surprisingly slim.... If there are no other components.
    
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- artifex@piefed.social ⁨4⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  There is at least graceful degradation:
  
  When the battery dies, the glasses continue to function as a traditional pair of single-vision specs, ensuring the wearer is never left in the dark or have safety compromised such as when driving or operating machinery.
  
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- Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Plus “clunky” bifocals have way fewer moving parts and can be made with thin wire frames so they’re lighter.
  
  I’m sure there might be someone with really bad eyesight for whom these might be useful - like if the near and far prescriptions are too different to be possible, maybe - but this is inferior to the actual solution in almost every way.
  
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  - AbidanYre@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    And if you forget to charge your bifocals they still work the next day.
    
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  - ExcessShiv@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    
    Plus “clunky” bifocals have way fewer moving parts and can be made with thin wire frames so they’re lighter.
    
    As someone with clunky bifocals, the weight of the frame (even the chunky ones) is absolutely unnoticeable compared to the weight of the lenses. You don’t get thin wireframes for the lower weight, you get it because they’re less noticeable.
    
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Buelldozer@lemmy.today ⁨2⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
I’m cautiously optimistic. This looks like a reasonable use of tech that doesn’t seem to have so many of the spyware elements that other glasses (like Meta) have. There’s no external camera, no screens (only lenses), and no mention needing an app or internet connection.

As someone in their target demographic I’m interested to find out what is actually released and would consider purchasing a pair.

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SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago
“Positioned as a high-end luxury option”

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tgcoldrockn@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Oh I remember this bullshit. I remember when headphones used to just work. Now they take 10+ minutes of my day troubleshooting the connection, battery, pairing, etc. to listen to music which I now rent but used to own on a stereo which didn’t surveil me and sell my data. NOW your telling me I can go FUCK MYSELF with new techbro glasses? SIGN ME UP!

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- Fredselfish@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Exactly! Fuck this noise lets just fix our eyes.
  
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- Evilschnuff@feddit.org ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  I understand your sentiment as I am annoyed by similar issues. But the wireless in ear headphones also changed a lot how we use them. I guess it’s similar for glasses. People will appreciate the auto focus but will inevitably complain if batteries run out or glasses malfunction.
  
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  - tgcoldrockn@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    The monthly payment for your ‘auto-focus tier 2’ plan is due. Failure to submit will result in immediate suspension of the total bullshit you signed up for.
    
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- frustrated_phagocytosis@fedia.io ⁨4⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  My Bose noise canceling headphones do not allow noise canceling when you use the audio jack, only for Bluetooth. It's maddening. Found this out on a plane when it was too late to do anything about it.
  
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- artifex@piefed.social ⁨4⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  There’s nothing about a subscription in here, and there’s no need for an internet connection. Sensors just watch how your eyes are trying to focus and adjust the metal lens that’s sandwiched between the glass parts.
  
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  - tgcoldrockn@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    nothing…yet.
    
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Toto@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Stupid. The long list of people saying “but what if we put tech in it!” is littered with marketing inflating the actual problem.

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- dhork@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  This is, at least, trying to solve an actual problem. It remains to be seen whether the solution is more cost effective (and durable) as bifocals. As a human of a certain age myself, I would welcome being able to see without having to tilt my head awkwardly.
  
  But something tells me this tech is not self-contained, and requires an always-on connection to some cloud resource which is guzzling electricity and water. No thanks! Bifocals are cheaper.
  
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teft@piefed.social ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Who wants to bet they won’t track where your gaze is looking and sell that data to the highest bidder?

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billwashere@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago
As a 55 man constantly switching glasses, taking them off, losing the “right” pair, etc. please please please …

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- SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago
  progressive bifocals.
  
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ouRKaoS@lemmy.today ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Maz

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optissima@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Only for the rich

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- artifex@piefed.social ⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Gotta start somewhere
  
  Once the tech is figured out, there will be copies
  
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- xenomor@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Don’t worry, they’ll make a version with advertisements inserted into the field of view for the poors.
  
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  - xenomor@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    They can block view of specific things, and force you to pay to unlock them. They can also add features you can subscribe to, like ‘make your spouse look more attractive’. I tell you, the business possibilities are endless.
    
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  - optissima@lemmy.ml ⁨4⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    With AI that detects when you’re orgasming from porn to optimize the dopamine connection with the product!
    
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frustrated_phagocytosis@fedia.io ⁨4⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Nausea-inducing bifocals? No thanks.

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