New “autofocus” glasses adjust lenses in real time

Finally, a pair of glasses that doesn’t make you choose between reading the menu and seeing your significant other.

Finnish startup IXI is gearing up to launch a new wave of smart glasses that can “autofocus” at different distances based on the wearer’s prescription needs, eliminating the need for bifocals or multiple pairs of glasses.

How it works: IXI’s new glasses use eye-tracking and liquid crystal lenses to instantly adjust between prescriptions: near, far, and everything in between, all based on where you're looking. Key features include:

• Eye-tracking sensors in the frames that detect exactly where the user is looking.
• Liquid crystals inside the lenses shift that focus in ~0.2 seconds, almost as fast as the blink of an eye.
• A near-vision zone that appears in the lens when needed—then fades when it’s not.

The next-gen tech is packed into frames that weigh just 0.78 ounces, roughly the same as regular glasses.

The tech isn’t 20-20 just yet

Like most early innovations, IXI’s glasses still have a few personality quirks. Mild distortion can show up at the edges or transition points, and the glasses need to auto-switch to distance mode if anything glitches. They also aren’t yet approved for driving, with limited data on how they perform in low light or bad weather, and need to charge overnight.

Looking (heh) ahead…IXI plans to launch the glasses within the next year in Europe and later in the US, with CEO Niko Eiden saying they’ll be priced “in the really high end of existing eyewear."