Even before Google announced last month that it was halting sales of Glass, its controversial and much publicized smart glass, some techies had prematurely declared it dead. Yet just because Glass has problems with its design and feature set—issues Google says it will address in future versions—don’t assume that the advance of wearable electronic technology for eyeglasses will be slowed. In fact, eyeglass wearables are proliferating and are emerging in many different forms, many of which I saw firsthand during my visit in January to International CES, the annual consumer electronics show in Las Vegas.

Many of the eyeglass wearables I saw were either augmented reality devices featuring transparent lenses and an electronic display that shows information or images, or perhaps a built-in, high-definition video camera, or else virtual reality goggles that provide an immersive experience for gaming or watching 3D movies.

However, I also saw the latest eye tracking glasses which allows the wearer’s gaze to be precisely monitored, a useful feature in designing stores, signage, websites and even ophthalmic diagnostics. One unique smart glass that I saw uses sensors built into the frame to monitor the wearer’s blink rate and other biometrics. For example, these glasses can tell you if you’re getting drowsy behind the wheel.

Wearable tech also took center stage at CES when Intel CEO Brian Krzanich introduced Oakley CEO Colin Baden during his keynote speech. Luxottica and Intel recently announced a research partnership and at CES, the two made it known that Oakley would be the first Luxottica brand to launch an “intelligent product,” designed to enhance athletes’ performance, later this year.

The companies that are developing and marketing eyeglass wearables are realizing that consumers will use their products as long as they are designed for specific purposes, such as sports, gaming, entertainment or work. (Google, take note.) Now is a good time for vision care professionals and optical retailers to check out the latest wearables and see how their patients and customers might benefit from them.

Andrew Karp
Group Editor, Lenses and Technology
[email protected]