Ophthalmic technology group and eye care retailer VSP Global has announced the development of 'Project Genesis', a wearable prototype pair of optical frames that integrates health-tracking technology.
Sensors, including an accelerometer and gyros, integrated into the temples of the glasses track health metrics such as steps, calories burned, heart rate, posture, gait, activity time and distance travelled. That information is passed, via Bluetooth, to a custom application that allows the wearer to monitor their activity in real time and which, according to VSP, has the potential to start identifying trends and behaviours that can create a more proactive healthcare model.
Rob Lynch, ceo of VSP Global said: "With an understanding of a rapidly changing marketplace and increased expectations from our clients and members, The SHOP's purpose is to drive technological advancements that are helping to shape tomorrow's optical industry."
The SHOP is VSP's innovation lab, the focus of which is designing the products and integrating the health tracking devices into the frames. It is currently beta testing the first version of the prototype with 26 VSP employees at the company's headquarters. Participants have been providing real-time feedback to SHOP engineers and designers, allowing for development of the prototype's hardware and software.
Additional testing and development is underway, with newer versions of the prototype expected to include more frame designs and additional sensors to provide more meaningful health data.
Jeremy Chadwick, managing director for VSP Vision Care EMEA, said: "Project Genesis proves to the market how seriously we believe in innovation in the area of eye health and vision care to create the next wave of optical technology that will improve both lifestyle and wellbeing for our members."
Author
Tom Austin-Morgan
Source: www.newelectronics.co.uk