A Pittsburgh-based start-up has created sunglasses that only block the light where necessary.
Unlike those polarized reactive sunglasses that clear when you go into a tunnel and darken again when you come out, Dynamic Eye’s shades simply darken bright spots within the wearer’s field of vision. The rest of the lenses stay lightly tinted.
If the sun moves in the user’s field of vision, the black spot moves with it, disappearing when the sun is no longer visible.
“You can do what you want to do, look where you want to look, and see what you want to see. You no longer need to squint or tense up when you face the sun, or use the sunshade when driving,” say its developers.
“Instead of shifting to get your eyes in the shadow of your rearview mirror, you drive comfortably, confident that your sunglasses will protect you from the sun no matter where it appears.”
The glasses are based on an LCD, and have a tiny rechargeable battery incorporated into the frame; even when this is out of power, the shades will still act as normal polarized sunglasses. An embedded camera locates bright lights and glare.
The company is now working on making the LCDs on curved plastic substrates, so they can be built into wraparound sunglasses styles. It’s also continuing to miniaturize the electronics and build in a Qi-compatible wireless recharging capability.
The company’s nowhere near production yet, and is trying to raise funds. Apparently $400, pledged here, will reserve you one of the first pairs off the production line in a year or two’s time . It says it’s nearly at its $20,000 target, at which point the venture will be able to get off the ground.