Rebecca
The right pair of sunglasses can certainly improve your image. Sunglasses can improve your vision if you’re fishing or skiing; they can protect your eyes against UV rays when you’re outdoors for long periods of time; they can even offer a measure of protection against flying debris and stiff wind. But can sunglasses actually improve the mind? Maybe so.
A brand-new pair of high-tech sunglasses designed to train people to focus was on display at a recent trade show in Germany. The glasses are equipped with sensors attached to the nose pieces and bridge, sensors that are ostensibly able to measure brain activity. Those sensors send data back to a mobile app via Bluetooth. The data is crunched, and users are told how well they are doing at focusing.
The concept is fascinating, if nothing else. People who tried them at the trade show said they worked as advertised, at least for the two minutes they had to try them. Whether or not the glasses can actually improve long-term focus on a more permanent basis remains to be seen. Still, it is intriguing technology.
Focusing in a Distraction-Filled World
Reviewers of the high-tech sunglasses mentioned being given a task by the mobile app they were to focus on. Along with the sunglasses, they were also wearing headphones connected to the app. When focus was poor, the individuals heard a certain tone through the headphones. That tone quieted with improved focus. Individuals able to reach the maximum level of focus heard bird chirping sounds rather than the underlying tone.
Now, let’s just say the short-term success experienced by guests at the trade show actually translates into long-term benefits for daily users. What would that mean to people who have trouble focusing in a distraction-filled world? It would mean the difference between night and day.
It is no secret that a lot of people have trouble focusing on a given task for more than a couple of minutes at a time. We are so used to a world governed by constantly changing images, social media platforms, instant messaging, and equally instant gratification, that finding someone with a high level of concentration is rare.
One possible suggestion for the high-tech sunglasses is to use them to help athletes better focus. The reasoning is sound: all the physical training in the world will not help an athlete achieve at the highest possible level if that person’s mind is not also trained. Focus training using the high-tech sunglasses could improve athletic performance if it really works.
Sunglasses Make It to the Tech Age
Olympic Eyewear, a designer and wholesaler of fashion sunglasses based in Salt Lake City, is not at all surprised to hear of the high-tech sunglasses displayed in Germany. They are fully aware that the sunglasses of 2018 have now entered the Tech age. Things are only going to get more interesting as time goes on.
For example, police in China are now using sunglasses with built-in video cameras and internet connectivity to help them identify suspects and known criminals in the field. Thanks to real-time data and high-tech lenses, Chinese criminals can never know who is really watching them.
Olympic Eyewear might not yet be involved in the high-tech sunglasses market but embracing technology will eventually be unavoidable. Perhaps one day they will be designing sunglasses intended to improve focus. Or perhaps future designs will do other incredible things – like improving the vision of people suffering from diseases like macular degeneration. Hey, you never know. Maybe the high-tech glasses worn by Star Trek‘s Geordi La Forge are just around the corner.
