emPower! is the world’s first electronic eyewear that will allow the wearer to have the type of vision they need, when they need it.  By partnering with Panasonic, PixelOptics has been able to manufacture a lens that allows the near reading power of the lens to be switched on and off as needed.  emPower! eyeglasses focus faster than the blink of an eye, have no moving parts, and change focus without making a sound.

How emPower! works:

• emPower! technology is found in many of today’s high-end consumer electronics, including composite lenses with a thin transparent LCD layer, microchips, accelerometers and rechargeable batteries.

• When a wearer tilts his/her head down to view an object up close, the accelerometer detects the motion. The microchip sends an electronic signal to the lenses, part of which contains a substance similar to that used in liquid-crystal displays. The current from the battery alters how the liquid crystals refract light, changing the prescription of the lens.

• emPower! lenses have two modes of operation: automatic and manual.  In automatic mode, the switch between full or partial reading prescription depends on where the wearer looks.  The wearer looks down and the full reading prescription turns on; the wearer looks straight ahead and the lens returns to the partial reading prescription – focusing in the blink of an eye.

• In manual mode, the person decides when to adjust the glasses to a reading prescription.  Control of the manual mode is performed on the right temple of the eyeglasses and simply requires a tap of the finger.

• Just like your cell phone, emPower! eyewear will need to be charged every few days.  Battery life will depend on the amount of usage of the electronic add zone.  Typically, a single charge should last between 2 and 3 days.  To charge, simply place the eyewear in the special charging tray (think PDA charging mat); leave it over night and it will be fully charged the next day.  

Why emPower!:

• Due to its augmented electronic region, emPower! lenses provide a larger reading area, when needed.  The electronic region is larger than the sweet spot of a normal progressive lens.

• Unlike with traditional progressive lenses, emPower! has virtually no peripheral “swim” or distortion in the periphery of the lens. 

• In a series of independent clinical tests conducted in June of 2010, emPower! eyeglasses were perceived by wearers to be superior in seven out of eight vision performance categories when compared to a leading progressive addition lens design.  emPower! performed equally in the remaining one category.

For more information please visit www.lifeactivated.com