US-based Eyedaptic has launched the Eye6 smartglasses for patients with retinal diseases, with the company saying eyecare practices are regularly reporting six lines’ visual acuity improvement. 

The company’s official study on an earlier iteration of the smartglasses, Eye1, showed 18 letters (over three lines’) improvement. 

Aimed at patients with age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, the spectacles offer AI-powered sight assistance via an embedded camera; facial detection; an ‘EyeSwitch’ function, designed to optimise the wearer’s peripheral vision; plus a 1080p high-definition OLED display. Eye6’s three-hour battery life and 85g frames also make them suited to long-duration wear, said the company. 

The Eye6 also comes equipped with ‘Ivy’, an interactive visual assistant fluent in 99 languages (although these do not currently include te reo Māori). Ivy can read text, describe a room, locate objects and help users with other daily tasks, said the company. 

Ivy combines state-of-the-art machine learning with user-centric design that redefines how individuals with visual impairments interact with their surroundings, said Jay Cormier, Eyedaptic’s CEO and founder. “As we continue to push boundaries in visual assistive technology, the Eye6 with Ivy represents a culmination of our team’s dedication and expertise and we are excited to introduce this advanced, wearable vision aid to eyecare specialists and their patients.” 

The Eye6 is not currently available in New Zealand.