Electronic eyeglasses that switch focus in the blink of an eye

If you’re one of the many who wear prescription eyeglasses with bifocal or progressive lenses, your life could soon become much simpler, thanks to a company called PixelOptics.

In June, the Roanoke, VA company will start selling its emPower eyeglasses, electronic eye-ware that lets wearers switch between differing prescriptions–one for close-up reading and one for distance viewing.

The glasses use a thin layer of liquid crystals sandwiched between two plastic layers. Electric current from a built-in rechargeable battery alters the focal power of the lens sandwich when you tilt your head or tap the frames. A 6-to-8-hour charge can run the emPower glasses for more than three days.

PixelOptic’s emPower glasses will be rolled out to professional eye-care specialists one region at a time, starting with Virginia and North Carolina in June. But the company envisions that they could be sold nationwide by the end of the year.

The high-tech specs won’t be cheap, at about $ 1,000 to $ 1,200 per pair. But electronic eyeglasses could be a convenient alternative for those with qualms about corrective surgery with lasers.

Bye bifocals! New specs change focus [CNN]

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