Did you think sunglasses were just an accessory to look cool on the beach? Think again. chameleon has just launched a line of eyewear on the market that seems to come straight out of a James Bond film. Imagine being able to change the tint of your lenses as easily as changing channels on the remote control. Well, now you can.
Eyewear that winks at the future
Chamelo didn't settle for just one model to launch its technology. She launched two: Dusk e Prismatic. And what do they do? Well, how can I tell you. It's like a dimmer, but what can I say: a rainbow before your eyes.
Changing the tint is possible thanks to a series of liquid crystal micro-lenses, which becomes more or less transparent depending on the electric current it receives.
From the company press release
Translation: they put a mini-LCD screen in your glasses. It's like having a miniaturized television on your nose, but instead of watching Netflix, you filter out the light.
Speed? More than a blink of an eye. And an app
Dusk lenses don't just change color. They do it at a speed that would make Flash pale. We're talking about 0,1 seconds. To put things in perspective, that's 1.800 times faster than traditional photochromic lenses. It's like going from carriage to spaceship in the blink of an eye. And could we miss the inevitable companion app? (Yes, an app for the glasses. One more, one less…). Why just touch your glasses when you can control them from your smartphone? It's like having a remote control for your eyes. Next step? Glasses that read minds? Atrophy, take me away.
How much does all this coolness cost?
Now, the question everyone is asking: how much does it cost to be so cool? Well, the basic version with Dusk lenses costs €149. I thought worse. Not super cheap, but hey, what's it worth to be able to say “Look, Mom! No hands!” while you change the tint of your glasses? For the more daring, however, there is the Aura version for €385. With this, you can go from light to blue, to purple, to ruby. It's like a wardrobe for the eyes.
But Chamelo doesn't stop at eyewear. They are already thinking about how to apply this technology to car and house windows. Imagine being able to darken the windows of your home with a tap on your phone. Or to find all the pink windows to welcome the mother who comes to eat at home for her party.
Eyewear will never be the same again
At the end, what do I think of this revolution in eyewear? It's the future. Or just a passing gadget. Clear ideas, huh? However, whatever the trajectory of this specific product, Chamelo has raised the bar. Maybe one day, looking back, we will laugh about when we had to wear different pairs of glasses to adapt to different light conditions. Or maybe not. Maybe these hi-tech glasses will become just another chapter in the long history of eyewear.
I think the basic idea has a market, however. Let's face it, who hasn't dreamed of having a pair of “magic glasses”? Well, they're not exactly magical, but they're damn close. In a world where technology seems increasingly complex, there's something fascinating about a pair of glasses that simply change color with a simple touch. Eyewear winks at the future. And maybe, just maybe, the future is reciprocating.
