Member Article

First-of-their-kind Adjustable Glasses UK Launch

Four ethical UK inventors who invented smart glasses to ‘help the world see better’ are now set for commercial success, thanks to years of hard work and dedication. The graduates behind Eyejusters (www.eyejusters.com) started working on the UK’s first smart glasses with adjustable prescription six years ago, manufacturing them themselves and transporting them to rural areas of developing countries which had no optometric care.

Eyejusters, which consists of co-founders Owen Reading, David Crosby Richard Taylor and Greg Storey, handmade the first generation of Eyejusters and subsequently designed the manufacturing machines themselves. The founders worked with 20 different charities to ascertain where the product would be needed the most and made personal visits to overseas projects, supplying areas which have no access to optometrists with ‘magic specs’ that have adjustable lens strength.

Eyejusters, which look just like ordinary glasses, incorporate an adjustable eyeDial, which allows the wearer to change the lens strength in the same way as the dial on binoculars or a microscope. This gives the wearer near perfect vision, whether they are using the glasses for computer work, reading, or detailed close-up work. Each independent eyeDial works alongside SlideLens™ technology, incorporating two independent lenses which are sealed against moisture and dirt. The lenses slide across each other adjusting the prescription strength across the wearer’s entire field of vision. Additionally, each lens can be individually focused by the wearer. As the lenses are sealed together they can be manufactured to be thin and light, meaning no discernible aesthetic difference between Eyejusters and traditional glasses. Eyejusters are currently available from the online Eyejusters store and their popularity has led to the founders arranging for the glasses to be launched in a major London department store in January 2017, along with other UK retailers. Co-founder Owen Reading says:

“A pair of glasses is one of the most life-transforming products available and we don’t believe that developing world users should have to settle for lower quality glasses. Through our work with charities and personal visits overseas, we supplied thousands of pairs of Eyejusters, and were delighted when we were selected by Innovate UK as one of the ‘Top 20 Exciting Health Start-ups in the UK’. We wanted to be able to provide this product to everyone, and so after winning a Technology Strategy Board grant, we secured our first major investment. It is important to us to keep everything in the UK, so our manufacturing and distribution is all carried out here, using machines and equipment that we helped to design ourselves. This is something we are very proud of.”

74% of people in the UK either wear corrective eyewear or have had laser eye surgery to help them see better.[i] However, wearing glasses with the wrong lens can cause short-term issues such as headaches, eye strain, squinting, tired eyes, blurred vision, dizziness or a lack of balance. Long-sightedness caused by loss of elasticity of the lens of the eye affects 22.7 million people in the UK alone of which 12.8 million have the potential to benefit from owning a pair of Eyejusters. With an ageing population staying active for longer the need for adjustable reading glasses is also on the increase. Owen continues:

“Many people need glasses with lots of different strengths. They may have a pair with for computer work, another for reading, and maybe yet another for close up work like hobbies. Eyejusters replace the need for multiple pairs of glasses.”

Eyejusters’ research highlights a growing need for adjustable lens technology, with two thirds (66%) of those wearing reading glasses owning multiple pairs of differing powers, to suit their day-to-day activities. Many more wearers feel unconfident selecting the right strength of reading glasses themselves in-store, so owning an adjustable pair would solve this problem and save time and money. It also makes it easier to buy a pair of glasses as a gift for friends as you don’t need to second guess the strength of the lens. Owen concludes:

“Our company is rapidly expanding, and we now also have a new design for the developing world, alongside our premium range of Eyejusters which are available to the general public. We are proud to be where we are today, and of being a growing, hardworking, UK-based company.

[i] http://www.college-optometrists.org/en/utilities/document-summary.cfm/A60DE8E4-B6CF-49ED-8E0FE694FCF4B426

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by David Pacini .