Soon your eyeglasses will do a lot more than just help you see.
The University of Southern California (USC) Center for Body Computing (CBC) has teamed up with eye-wear company VSP Global to launch a brand new high-tech embedded eyeglasses that incorporate health-tracking technology into the frames.
To prep for the launch, the group has begun a consumer pilot test with the latest version eyewear called Level.
“Our partnership with VSP Global will accelerate research and discovery as to how to create digital health products and experiences that will elevate, enhance and expand the lives of users,” said Dr. Leslie Saxon, USC CBC founder and executive director. “This study is the first of its kind and will provide a crucial roadmap for validating future products and platforms and for understanding overall consumer health engagement.”
The pilot study will launch this month with USC employees. Participants will receive a Level frame and accompanying smartphone app that will allow them to track their activity.
The eyeglasses include a gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer that will track a wearer’s steps, calories burned, and activity time. Users will also be able to locate misplaced frames using the app’s “Find My Glasses” feature.
The study will provide feedback regarding user interaction in order to help shape future versions of the eye-wear.
The eyeglasses will also benefit medical professionals. For example, by harnessing raw biometric data from a wearable, like activity time, calories burned, or heart rate, and layering that into a patient’s medical record, medical teams could create actionable insights and a more holistic understanding of overall health and wellness.
“We’ve found that a visit to the eye doctor is often a person’s entry point into the healthcare system,” said VSP Global Board Member Ryan Wineinger, OD. “In addition to identifying conditions like glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration, comprehensive eye exams can also detect signs of other serious health conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol and even multiple sclerosis. To explore how technology inside a frame can further strengthen the link between a patient and their eye doctor is a natural extension to the role the eyes play in overall health and wellness today.”
The Level pilot will run through December.
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