Smart Sunglasses

"Many readers have submitted this story of chemists at the University of Washington who have made glasses with lenses that can be transparent or dark, in shades of yellow, green, or purple, all at the push of a button. The glasses will let the wearer instantly change the color of their lenses to virtually any hue by tuning a tiny electronic knob in the frame."

Comments

Re:Oh Great

[Starburnt]

This is why they call them "Smart" sunglasses - it's relative to their wearers.

how about polarization

[Blue Shifted]

i frequently use polarized glasses to examine lcd screens for defects; it would be nice to change the angle of polarization without having to tilt my head at odd angles. also, when i change the angle, i can see through many different reflections.

Re:how about polarization

[wass]

If you're doing this often enough, as you say, why don't you buy a linear polarizer? Here is a relatively cheap one. Much better ones can be had for more money. You can also use circular polarizing films to block reflected glares.

Re:how about polarization

[stpk4]

...how bout tilting the screen instead? = ) haha i know the lcd screens are probably too bulky and heavy to be tilting all day

Re:how about polarization

[trentblase]

Interesting... I do the reverse. When buying new polarized glasses, I use an lcd screen to detect defects in the glass polarization. In my experience, that's the more likely point of failure. Also, shouldn't you be able to see polarization problems in the LCD unaided? It has multiple polarization elements, so if there's a misalignment of some sort, it should be visible to the naked eye.

Re:how about polarization

[gravos]

You know what would be really awesome? Glasses that are "smartly" polarized. That is, they just remove all highly polarized light while still letting the generally unpolarized stuff thorough. They would work equally well at all angles of tilt.

If you drive with horizontally polarized sunglasses, you cut the glare from the road, but still get glare from the windshield. If you switch to vertical, you cut the glare from the windshield, but not the glare from the road. I don't want to see any reflected light.

You probably can't do this sort of thing passively and would need a computer to do the comparisons, so the cost will be way too high for a long time to come. But maybe in the late 2070s?

Here's to hoping.

Re:how about polarization

[threaded]

What I do is rock my head side to side. or twist my glasses slightly. I think you'll find it is much cheaper.

Re:how about polarization

[zCyl]

If you drive with horizontally polarized sunglasses, you cut the glare from the road, but still get glare from the windshield. If you switch to vertical, you cut the glare from the windshield, but not the glare from the road. I don't want to see any reflected light.

You should try wearing a larger pair of horizontally polarized sunglasses on top of a normal pair of vertically polarized sunglasses. That will accomplish your goal of not seeing any reflected light.

Re:how about polarization

[Anonymous Coward]

Shut your eyes.

Re:how about polarization

[$RANDOMLUSER]

Go to a camera store and ask to see a polarizing lens adapter. They're meant to screw on to the end of a 35mm camera lens. The filters themselves are in the 50-60mm diameter range. There's a fixed part, and a part that turns; the polarizing lens is attached to the part that turns. You're a geek, make some glasses with them, or glue them to some safety goggles.

Re:how about polarization

[PopeRatzo]

i frequently use polarized glasses to examine lcd screens for defects

Forgive the OT, but I just have to ask:
Is this your job, or do you just hang out at the Best Buy?

Re:how about polarization

[fatphil]

Why not just wear a big hat and pull it down over your eyes?
Much cheaper - and scratchproof to boot!

Re:how about polarization

[theckhd]

If you drive with horizontally polarized sunglasses, you cut the glare from the road, but still get glare from the windshield. If you switch to vertical, you cut the glare from the windshield, but not the glare from the road. I don't want to see any reflected light.

You have your polarizations backwards. Light that reflects off of the road surface will be primarily horizontally polarized; thus you would need vertically polarized sunglasses to reduce the glare.

Re:how about polarization

[Hijacked Public]

The ones you describe are called "Circular Polarizers" or CPLs. Most decent camera stores will also have linear ones but those require the kind of head movement that some poeple seem to want to avoid. I suggest asking for the Kasemann type of CPL because they last longer.

As an aside, some people less familiar with technology think that CPLs are voodoo magic. Show them that their reflections in a window appear and disappear as they rotate the glass and their reactions can be pretty interesting. Children will usually stuff the CPL into their pocket and run away. Some adults will stand there and play with it for hours while others will drop it and threaten to kill you. You never know what you are going to get.

Re:how about polarization

[Viper Daimao]

Though a bit dangerous...

Re:how about polarization

[GundamFan]

Are the two mutually exclusive? I'd love to mess with the "geek squad" for a living.

Re:how about polarization

[Dun Malg]

You know what would be really awesome? Glasses that are "smartly" polarized. That is, they just remove all highly polarized light while still letting the generally unpolarized stuff thorough. There's no such thing as "unpolarized" light. What you're describing as "generally unpolarized" is actually "mixed polarization". The reason polarized lenses work is because glare off flat surfaces tends to be polarized in one direction. You can safely block one general polarity because you'll still get plenty of light through from light polarized ~90 degrees off. As another poster noted, you should see what happens when you try to look through two polarized lenses set such that their polarity is 90 degrees off from one another. You might as well have sunglass lenses made of chocolate*.

* if you can't see through 'em, you might as well eat 'em

Re:how about polarization

[LunaticTippy]

I think what the OP meant was something like this: Computerized "sunglasses" that have multiple cameras & polarized filters for each eye. A display that shows the computed display. For each bright pixel, if it is highly polarized in one direction and not normal to that direction, display it less bright. So you'd get these results:

golf ball coming right at you: bright (balanced polarization)
glare from hood of your car: dim (polarized horizontal)
glare from shop window to your side: dim (polarized vertical)

I like the idea, but you can't do it with passive filters. You need goggles that don't let any natural light through and provide a computed display.

Re:how about polarization

[Anonymous Coward]

Er, linear and circular polarizing filters do the same thing. The main difference is that linear polarizers can play merry hob with TTL metering while circular polarizers alleviate this problem. Both have a rotating outer ring.

Re:how about polarization

[painQuin]

two polarized lenses at 90' to each other achieves the same result as closing your eyes...
I think that was the original joke.

Re:how about polarization

[Anonymous Coward]

Every pair of polarized sunglasses I have ever owned were polarized neither vertically nor horizontally, but rather 45 degrees in between. This is why when looking at the screen on your car stereo and tilting your head in one direction, it goes black, and by tilting your head in the other direction, it is more easily seen than when your head is straight. If you tilt your head 90 degrees in the direction that it goes black, you'll notice that halfway there it hits the blackest, then by the time you get to 90, it's back to how it looked when your head was straight.

This actually makes sense if you think about it. If the polarization is at a 45 degree angle, then you get little glare from above, little from below, little from each side, and most at 45 degree angles. Since the most common directions to look are up down and side-to-side, it makes perfect sense for the polarization to be neither vertical or horizontal.

Let the "make mine peril sensitive" jokes begin!

[Anonymous Coward]

And that's all I got today.

Are they...

[rossdee]

Peril sensitive? Zaphod needs 2 pairs.

Re:Are they...

[EvanED]

Maybe you could make it with polarization.

(I came here to see how long it took for someone to post the Hitchhiker's reference. I wasn't disappointed.)

Re:Are they...

[Phroon]

They did use polarizers to make Zaphod's Peril sensitive sunglasses in the TV series.

tits on a bull

[Butisol]

No glow in the dark, no care.

I Wear My Sunglasses at Night !

[Anonymous Coward]

I Wear My Sunglasses at Night ! I wear my steering wheel on my face ! And I still look cool because

I wear my sunglasses at night
so I can
so I can
Watch you weave then breath your story lines.
And I wear my sunglasses at night
so I can
so I can
Keep track of the visions in my eyes.
While she's deceiving me
it cuts my security.
Has she got control of me? - I turn to her and say:
Don't switch the blade on the guy in shades
oh no.
Don't masquerade with the guy in shades
oh no
I can't believe it!
You got it made with the guy in shades
oh no.
And I wear my sunglasses at night
so I car `
Forget my name while you collect your cla1
so I can
And I wear my sunglasses at night
so I carim.
See the light that's right before my eyes. 1
so I can
While she's deceiving me it cuts my security
. . .
Don't switch the blade on the guy in shades
oh no.
Don't masquerade with the guy in shades
oh no
I can't believe it!
Don't be afraid of the guy in shades
oh no
it can't escape you

'cus you got it made with the guy in shades
oh no.
I said: I wear my sunglasses at night.
I wear my sunglasses at night
I wear my sunglasses at night.
I said to you now: I wear my sunglasses at night

I wear my sunglasses at night
I wear my sunglasses at night.

Re:I Wear My Sunglasses at Night !

[Anonymous Coward]

You have posted copyrighted material- cue MAFIAA at your door in 5...4...3...2...

Re:I Wear My Sunglasses at Night !

[Anonymous Coward]

Only if the OP is: disabled/a single mother/over 70/under 12/on social benefits [delete as applicable]

Buttons and Knobs?

[Reed Solomon]

What is this, 60's Star Trek? I want it to respond to my thoughts or at least memorize my preferences somehow. Buttons and Knobs. Really.

Re:Buttons and Knobs?

[FMota91]

this->give(Phrase("cute as a button"), 1.0, new Meaning());

Re:Buttons and Knobs?

[Walt Dismal]

Star Trek sunglasses, let me see. Is this the 'dim' button or the 'phaser' button? I can't remember. Have to try one of them. - Click - ARGGGGHHHHHH! ARGGGGHH!!! I - just - phasered - my - eyeballs!! Help me, Spock!!!! (whimper)

Next time I'll -- have one of the -- redshirts -- try these first. Kirk out.

Re:Buttons and Knobs?

[inKubus]

What's an "electronic knob" anyway?

Got nothing on my Joo Janta 2000's!

[mattOzan]

Button-pushing is for weenies. Glasses that go black all by themselves at the first sign of danger--that's where it's at!

Re:Got nothing on my Joo Janta 2000's!

[Anonymous Coward]

I can't believe this is the only reference to this! What has happened to /.?

Re:Got nothing on my Joo Janta 2000's!

[ThePsion5]

Gah! That's the first thing that came to mind when I saw this article. I should know better than to think I'm the fastest Douglass Adams fan here...

No rose?

[the_bard17]

Only yellow, green, or purple? No rose colored glasses?

I wouldn't have been able to resist the temptation to add it, myself... assuming it was possible.

Re:No rose?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yellow and purple... they're UW's school colors (well, actually they are purple and gold, but yellow is often used as a substitute for gold). Cool!

Re:No rose?

[beav007]

Only yellow, green, or purple? No rose colored glasses? FTA:

Chemists at the University of Washington in Seattle say they are developing 'smart' sunglasses that will let the wearer instantly change the color of their lenses to virtually any hue of the rainbow. So, whether you like your lenses clear, red, green, blue or purple, virtually any color could be obtained instantly by tuning a tiny electronic knob in the frame, the researchers said in a release. Unlike you, I read [part of] TA. I must be new here...

Re:No rose?

[iminplaya]

No rose colored glasses?

Aw, Man! FTA: "Current lens choices don't simply include different levels of shading, but also different colors, such as yellow lenses, said to enhance contrasts and improve depth perception, or rose-colored glasses, which brighten low-light scenes."

The rose-colored ones will also brighten dark times.

Motorcycles

[LBt1st]

I would buy these in an instant! I commute on a motorcycle and often times I leave in the morning. Unless it's cloudy i have to put on my sunglasses before the sun is even up. Then I ride north with darkened vision. But I have no choice because later I have to ride into the sun as it's rising. Impossible to safely do without the shades. Wearing a helmet, even with a flip up face-mask, it takes too long (and again, is unsafe) to fumble with putting on shades while on the bike. With these, I could easily turn a knob while at a traffic light. I just hope they put the knob where I can get to with with the helmet on, and while wearing gloves. Hell if they just made helmet visors that'd be even better!

Re:Motorcycles

[skiflyer]

If your visor isn't UV protected you can already do this today with Transitions... http://www.transitions.com/ , they have several models for different usages (different starting tints basically)... but they're UV activated, so they kinda suck for their most obvious usage, driving. I hear their newer model "drivers" are supposed to be better for that... don't get me wrong, the old ones worked in a car, just not as well as they work out in the open air.

Re:Motorcycles

[TooMuchToDo]

I too commute by motorcycle, and look forward to the day I can get a transition visor (that tints based on level of UV it's being exposed to). My glasses have it, but I'm not sure if they can do it with safety plastic used on helmet visors.

Re:Motorcycles

[lisaparratt]

The Schuberth Concept and C2 range have a secondary inner sun visor that you can flip down with a slider on the outside of the helmet:

http://schuberth.klaxmedia.de/en/concept.html
http://schuberth.klaxmedia.de/en/c2.html

They're awesome - I've had my Concept about 4.5 years, and I'm definitely getting another when I replace it this summer.

Re:Motorcycles

[codeButcher]

Me too. Although in my case I often do the more poetic riding into the sunset.... :-)

BTW, have you ever tried using polarized sunglasses? All plexiglass parts in your line of sight (visor, windscreen) cause quite a psychedelic effect on the scene you see. Funny for a minute or so, and NOT recommended in traffic.

Re:Motorcycles

[SeaFox]

But I have no choice because later I have to ride into the sun as it's rising. Impossible to safely do without the shades. Wearing a helmet, even with a flip up face-mask, it takes too long (and again, is unsafe) to fumble with putting on shades while on the bike.

Or you could just, you know, pull over, so the bike's stopped while you change your eyewear. Kinda like how I pull over to talk on the cell phone if an important call comes in, especially since my car's a stick shift.

Re:Motorcycles

[MichaelSmith]

I would buy these in an instant! I commute on a motorcycle and often times I leave in the morning. Unless it's cloudy i have to put on my sunglasses before the sun is even up. Then I ride north with darkened vision. But I have no choice because later I have to ride into the sun as it's rising. Impossible to safely do without the shades.

I am a bicycle commuter and I have similar issues. I wish I had a good suggestion to make but I did have one thought.

A digital still camera, with a monitor on the back might make a good, compact image processing platform. It aready is, I suppose. Maybe there is a role for a monitor which you can glance at when you are riding/driving directly into the sun and you have absolutely no idea of what is ahead of you.

A couple of years ago I was driving along an urban road in the foothills of mount dandenong here in Victoria. It was 10 minutes before sundown or so and as I came to a small hill I noticed that everybody on the road had stopped as if there was some kind of disaster. The sun was shining directly down the hill and after I stopped I couldn't see the road ahead at all. It was like trying to spot the moon when it is about to eclipse the sun. Dangerous and practically impossible.

I think the hill made it worse because the sun wasn't attenuated by the thick atmosphere close to the horizon.

Re:Motorcycles

[dotoole]

I had the same problem. Go get yourself a Caberg Justissomo. It has an inner sun visor and a slider on the side of the lid to drop and raise it. Very easy to use while riding with gloved hands - and as an added benefit it looks damn cool :).

Re:Motorcycles

[Hieronymus Howard]

They've been around for years:
http://www.performancemotorcycleparts.com/visor_pa ges/fog_city_hyper_optiks.htm

Re:Motorcycles

[thetroll123]

I know bikers are the sharpest knives in the drawer, but really...

1. Stop bike
2. Put on sunglasses
3. ???
4. Profit!

Re:Motorcycles

[BVis]

This is way, way OT, but you're aware that most helmets are made of plastics that lose their energy-absorbing properties after 3 years or so? Glad to hear you're replacing it this summer, but this might be useful for next time.

Re:Motorcycles

[lisaparratt]

Hmm - I'd always been told it was 5.

Re:Motorcycles

[Anonymous Coward]

yes because it way to fucking difficult to pull over and put on your sunglasses or buy a helmet with a slide down tint.

only a fucking idiot drives motorcycle with sunglasses on in the dark.

Yes, YOU are a fucking idiot because you are plain old LAZY.

Re:Motorcycles

[BVis]

Things may have improved in the years since I took a motorcycle safety course; that's what I was told then.

Re:Motorcycles

[Mab_Mass]

BTW, have you ever tried using polarized sunglasses?

I have prescription sunglasses that are polarized, which give me this effect. Have you found any other good solutions than just trying to find another pair of sunglasses?

(I also have a lumpy skull, so my helmet options are limited.)

Re:Motorcycles

[lisaparratt]

Aren't the plastics degraded by UV? Perhaps it depends to an extent on the local climate?

Re:Motorcycles

[codeButcher]

No, I replaced mine with non-polarized sunglasses, which was cheap enough in my case.

Either that, or remove all the plexiglass/toughened glass in your line of sight. (Yeah, I know, not necessarily a good idea to go without visor...)

Problem is that stressed areas in glass or clear plastics modify the polarization of the light passing through it, while the unstressed areas leave the polarization as-is. Now the sunglasses filter out most polarizations, leaving only some light waves (in the pattern one sees) to travel through to your eye. Nice for engineering, but not for driving. Some Wikipedia pages: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polarization, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photoelasticity.

Re:Motorcycles

[TooMuchToDo]

Thank you!

Re:Motorcycles

[BVis]

That rings a bell. I think you're right.

Re:Motorcycles

[cayenne8]

Hmm...didn't have the problem till the damned lady gov. (Blanco) came into power down here, and re-instated the mandatory helment law.

Was easy to swap out shades before you had to have the freakin' helment on all the time.

:-(

Re:Motorcycles

[TooMuchToDo]

Come to Illinois, where our motorcycle lobby group keeps helmet laws off the books*. =)

*Please note that I'm a champion of personal responsibility, and very much against the nanny-state.

Re:Motorcycles

[Anonymous Coward]

I have a perfectly good pair of glasses, but on sunny days while driving it's not good enough to flip down the sunshade.

Then I saw some Solar Shield glasses in Walmart. This product line is basically oversized sunglasses meant to go over an existing pair of normal glasses. They work great for driving. ("But they're so low-tech!", the crowd exclaims :P )

The only problem is that they make you look a little silly if you already have large glasses, but if you're driving, it's not like many people will notice (or care.)

Re:Motorcycles

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't care if you kill yourself. I care if you spend the rest of your life in a government-run home being unable to wipe your ass, and my tax dollars have to support your bad decision making skills.

Can you put them on random?

[cyphercell]

If you can they might compete with psychedelic drugs.

Re:Can you put them on random?

[spune]

You sir are confused. These glasses would enhance the psychedelic experience rather than compete with it, regardless of randomize functions. I would hope, however, that each lens could be individually manipulated.

Re:Can you put them on random?

[Brieeyebarr]

Yes, they should change individually! 3-D Glasses whenever you need them!

Re:Can you put them on random?

[cyphercell]

That's funny, but did you notice how half my moderation was "informative" the other half "interesting"? I don't think many people here know what you're talking about. Anyways, what do you think about little LCD screens on your lenses, maybe you could program your trip to be whatever you wanted, maybe you could go with dancing dead bears in your periphery and a tie-die world a little audio and you'd be talking to Jerry Garcia in a matter of hours (in the psychedelic sense that is).

Nice!

[Dr. Eggman]

But I'd rather have contact lens that change colors everytime I blink. It'd look really cool, but it'd probably be real distracting to people and retnal scans.

Re:Nice!

[skiflyer]

people maybe, retina's are in the back of the eye... retinal scans better not get confused by a colored contact.

Re:Nice!

[Anonymous Coward]

I prefer to just have eyes that naturally change based upon what I'm wearing, how far away people are and my mood. No joke...

Re:Nice!

[powerlord]

Ditto.

Its flat out floored a few ex-girlfriends when they saw my eyes and watched them do that (normally wear glasses so they are less visible).

Of course since they tend to be three or four different colors by default, they were already shaking their head.

Re:Nice!

[fahrbot-bot]

I'd rather have contact lens that change colors everytime I blink

The battery might be a bit bukly on your cornea. I'll waiting for mirrored contacts...

Here are the glasses

[suv4x4]

There we go, on top.

With glasses like those, you can be the hit of every nerd party, I can hardly wait.

Re:Here are the glasses

[cyphercell]

Thanks that was an excellent laugh.

Re:Here are the glasses

[cyphercell]

I wonder if they run Linux?

Re:Here are the glasses

[jimmydevice]

The images scream prototype. Check out the blue wires!

Re:Here are the glasses

[suv4x4]

The images scream prototype. Check out the blue wires!

Of course, but you gotta admit that imagining wearing those in a club screams hilarity.

It'll be interesting to see what these turn to, but I've the feeling they'll introduce too much design limitations to make the concept practical. Can those screens bend in any shape? Are they as good protecting from UV?

And the most important of all... how plausible it is that you'll look totally uncool in the middle of a party, if your sunglasses's battery runs out of electricity?

Re:Here are the glasses

[cgm88]

Aesthetically these glasses need major improvement. The copper wire resembles masking/cello tape around broken glasses on revenge of the nerds. But then, maybe gaudy is the new cool?

Re:Here are the glasses

[pete-classic]

The article you link to doesn't mention the powerful contraceptive effect of these glasses.

-Peter

Re:Here are the glasses

[treeves]

When I was in Navy boot camp in 1986, every recruit who needed glasses got issued a pair of dorky looking black-plastic-framed glasses we called "BC glasses" - what "BC" stood for is left as an exercise for the reader. I'll tell you though, these color-changing glasses are cooler than those were. Even if they have a cheap SPST button switch on the side and are basically a pair of cheap safety glasses with some interesting liquid crystal thingumajiggies in 'em. Of course they probably can't correct your vision to 20/20 yet either.

Re:Here are the glasses

[Mike89]

"BC glasses"

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bc+ glasses

Re:Here are the glasses

[BlueTrin]

For some reason it reminded me of Code Quantum ...

Re:I need to shit but I just started reading slash

[cyphercell]

No. Wait till your drawers magically change color and post a dupe.

Great minds..... I kid you not

[Anonymous Coward]

I was thinking of the near-exact same concept and thinking how to make it a reality not 2 days ago, since it would be very useful for a number of people (mainly thinking how to avoid having to use extra lenses - or extra pair of glasses - for depth perception, for example). Alas, I don't have the resources for it at this time.

Re:Great minds..... I kid you not

[jimmydevice]

How about glasses that read your focal reflective attempts and compensates with a programmatically deformed lense? Much more usefull and maybe more commercial, targeting all the geezers out there.

Perfect!

[ScentCone]

These will be great for when I'm driving my flying car.

Re:Perfect!

[Max Littlemore]

Pfffft. Flying cars are for weenies.

I bet these babies will be sweet for red shift compensation when I'm riding my warp enabled rocket pack! You haven't lived 'till you felt the rush of the inky void through your hair!!

Re:Perfect!

[CrazyJim1]

Rocket packs and sunglasses? And talking about when we'll never get a flying car!

My DukeNukem Forever character customizer better let me chose the color of my glasses.

Re:Perfect!

[Bloke down the pub]

It will - but only on the version for the Hurd.

I want Smart to actually be Smart!

[Nom du Keyboard]

The glasses will let the wearer instantly change the color of their lenses to virtually any hue by tuning a tiny electronic knob in the frame.

I don't want to have to turn a tiny electronic knob. I don't even know what makes some knobs electronic, rather than the old kind of knob. What I want are sunglasses smart enough to turn their own knobs and automatically adjust the the ambient light conditions properly. Now those would be smart!

And if a Vorlon comes along, just turn black.

Re:I want Smart to actually be Smart!

[grimflick]

Mod up parent for the excellent Babylon 5 reference Although you could go to the electric blue color

Yes, but...

[Anonymous Coward]

Will it include a "Rose" color button for diehard Vista users?

Re:Oh Great

[Max Littlemore]

So yet another reason for assholes to "wear their sunglasses at night" and be distracted about whilst they drive.

Aren't there yellow glasses for people with bad night vision that reduce glare? They're _supposed_ to be worn at night for safety reasons and I think from TFA, these glasses also go yellow. If the shade of yellow is right, people could use the same pair for day and night driving, which is pretty cool.

By the way, people who drive with sunglasses at night are not assholes, they are dickheads. There's a subtle distinction.

Smart.....?

[IHC Navistar]

The only truly smart sunglasses will be able to skitter off of my seat before I sit down on them. That, and when to fold in poker.

Re:Smart.....?

[jimmydevice]

Damn it! I had mod points yesterday. And I sat on a pair today.

Re:Smart.....?

[IHC Navistar]

'Hind'-sight is always 20/20!

Ok, I know, bad pun.

Thanks for the thought though!

Re:Smart.....?

[demi]

The only truly smart sunglasses will be able to skitter off of my seat before I sit down on them

I really, really need sunglasses that follow me the hell around. I don't know how many sunglasses I've left at restaurants, on trains, or, as far as I can tell, just jumping off my head when I wasn't paying attention.

Hmm...

[shivamib]

Those worked very nice for Ultraviolet. Now all we need is mood-sensitive clothes and hair. And katanas!!! Oh, wait, I already have mood-sensitive hair.

Personally, I'll wait for the Elite edition, with x-ray and stuff.

Sunglasses? Colors? Pfft.

[straponego]

I want mirrored contacts. When somebody takes a flash photo of me it'll look like my head is exploding. Don't ask why I want that, I just... do.

Colorblindness aid?

[ereshiere]

I've got red-green colorblindness (green traffic lights look white, reds look darker than other colors, brown looks like both green and red, etc.). Will this help people like me in any way?

Re:Colorblindness aid?

[pete-classic]

I don't think so, but it might allow you to show people how things look to you.

-Peter

Re:Colorblindness aid?

[Anonymous Coward]

The main problem of being colourblind is that your colourspace is twodimensional, so no ordinary filter, no matter what it does, can really solve that. Although some filters may help:
It's analogous to trying to draw a threedimensional object on a flat piece of paper - you'll lose depth, but use perspective and it'll look a lot better.
Of course, you could make a time-dependent filter and make red pulse and leave green alone, but you'd probably get a headache.

Re:Colorblindness aid?

[complete loony]

Hmmm, what about only showing green+blue in one eye, and red+blue in the other. Your brain might be able to adapt to the difference eventually. It might cause some havok with your depth perception, and you'd look silly wearing 3D glasses all the time ;)

Re:Colorblindness aid?

[Anonymous Coward]

Nah, people won't like you with sunglasses, either...

Re:Colorblindness aid?

[Anonymous Coward]

A green lens will let green light through, but not so much red. So if you switch the green on and off, you can tell if that color you see is actually green or red... I don't know if this technology would help any more than normal shades could.

Re:Colorblindness aid?

[ArAgost]

Well, those glasses could make you a *cool* colorblind guy :|

Re:Colorblindness aid?

[TheThiefMaster]

Out of interest, are the pictures on the Wikipedia colour-blindness page accurate? They are supposed to show what the "colours of the rainbow" look like to a colour-blind person, but in theory if a colour-blind person looks at them then they shouldn't be able to tell the difference between the "normal" picture and one of the artificial colour-blindness ones.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colour_blind#Classifi cation_of_color_deficiencies

Re:Colorblindness aid?

[Big_Breaker]

That is actually a pretty good idea. Laser eye surgery is sometimes done with one eye biased for near vision and one for distance vision. That seems to be a greater compromise in depth perception.

In any event I don't think depth perception would be effected. It doesn't rely on color. It relies on relative size and orientation.

Re:Colorblindness aid?

[Dragonslicer]

I'm red-green colorblind, and I can tell the difference between those images. The colors in the second one look lighter and faded compared to the first one. Here is a page that has the Ishihara test patterns. Here is another page that has more detailed information. As a point of comparison, the two pictures of flowers about half way down the page (subtitled "red-insensitive dichromat") look very nearly identical to me.

Re:Colorblindness aid?

[hcdejong]

I don't think so. With these glasses you're just filtering out certain frequencies. What you would need to help colourblind people would be glasses that can frequency-shift incoming information. That is doable, but currently the rigs to do this (IR goggles) are quite bulky, and monochromatic.

Re:Colorblindness aid?

[Anonymous Coward]

Bwahahaha!! My kingdom for a mod point..

Re:Colorblindness aid?

[TheThiefMaster]

Interestingly when I glanced at the picture at the bottom of the first link I saw an 8. After reading the blurb I looked back at it properly and saw that I'd actually seen both the 2 and the 5 overlapped. I don't know how, as the numbers are both drawn in a different way (the 5 is a different colour to the background and the 2 is lighter than the background).

The pictures of the flowers are great though, much better than the pictures on Wikipedia. They really make me understand how the world looks to a colour-blind person. Too be honest, it doesn't look that bad.

Re:Colorblindness aid?

[borawjm]

Those who are red-green weak, such as myself, do not see reds and greens as bright as people who do not have the deficiency. Therefore, any picture or object that attempts to show what red-green weak color-blind people see to "normal" color vision people will just make their red and green hues darker (or more faded). That's why some red-green weak color-bind people will turn up the red and green on their televisions to compensate for this "lack of brightness". Perhaps that is why blue is my favorite color ;)

Re:Colorblindness aid?

[complete loony]

But if only one eye can see the object because of its colour? There are definitely cases where this would get confusing. Try walking around with red / blue 3d glasses on for a while.

On another note, if this concept could work for the colour blind, could you put more subtle filters into a pair of glasses so people with normal vision can see more shades of colour?

Re:Colorblindness aid?

[Dragonslicer]

For moderate red-green color blindness like I have, it's not really a major problem. I can tell the difference between red and green traffic lights (green actually looks like very pale, almost white), though sometimes I have some trouble with the red and yellow lights. I actually don't even think about seeing anything color, since I've never been able to correctly identify most colors anyway. People will say to me "See that blue thing over there?", and I'll just give them a blank stare in return.

Something I probably should have mentioned in my first post, to make it a bit more on topic, is that I doubt these glasses could help correct color blindness issues. They'd have to be able adjust certain frequency ranges by varying amounts, the goal being to shift the sensitivity range of the red curve back to where it should be.

Re:Colorblindness aid?

[TheThiefMaster]

For people who just have weak perception of a colour (a reduced number of cells of that type instead of having their cells for that colour missing or with a shifted frequency response) then using coloured contacts sounds like an effective way to force the eye/brain into increasing it's sensitivity towards that colour and correcting the problem.

Photocromatic glass

[baomike]

Really cool glasses do it without being told. Like mine have for the last 40 years.
Only one colour , true, but "look ma , no hands".

Re:Photocromatic glass

[Propaganda13]

My dad had these too. He said they could be annoying in summer going from the bright sun to a dark room since it took awhile for the glasses to adjust from dark to light.

Re:Photocromatic glass

[Fred Ferrigno]

I have them now. The practical effect is that my brain and eyes actually adjust to the glasses faster than the glasses adjust to the environment. I'm never really conscious of whether the glasses are light or dark. It's weird because every now and again someone asks me why I'm wearing sunglasses and I have no idea what they're talking about.

Re:Photocromatic glass

[Mr2cents]

And the other important feature: "Look ma, no batteries". Because, as you all know, the batteries will die on the most sunny day of the year.

Re:Photocromatic glass

[NiteShaed]

Until you get into your car on a bright sunny day and it's "Look ma, no tint"........

Re:Photocromatic glass

[GigG]

There are two problems with the current photochromatic sunglasses. First they are sensitive to only UV. If you are in a car built in the last 20 years they do not get near as dark as they would outside because the cars class is filtering a bunch of the UV. Also they are very temperature sensitive. They work better when it is cold. Which is the exact opposite of when most people need sunglasses. I used to wear them and played gold on some very clear days in the winter and you could have used them for welding they got so dark. Speaking of welding there are welding shields with LCD to darken the window and I always thought that this technology if made smaller and lighter would be perfect for sunglasses. Look Mom, my glasses get dark when I want them too.

Re:Photocromatic glass

[TuringTest]

Turing test - tell the computer to simulate Alan Turing, then ask him if he's "just a simulation".

I'm just a /. user, you insensitive clod!

Re:Photocromatic glass

[TigerNut]

Speaking of welding there are welding shields with LCD to darken the window and I always thought that this technology if made smaller and lighter would be perfect for sunglasses.

I have one of these and it's awesome for MIG welding or any kind of electric welding where you may accidentally strike an arc from time to time, as well as the convenience aspect of not having to flip it up and down as you move from weld to weld. The interesting thing is that LCD's require an AC waveform to go dark. The little solar panel that's above the LCD screen provides this in response to the typical welding arc glare. Hold the shield up to the sun... it goes dark for a split second, then light again. Sunlight on a solar panel produces DC and won't darken the LCD.

which one is it?

[miro f]

...all at the push of a button. The glasses will let the wearer instantly change the color of their lenses to virtually any hue by tuning a tiny electronic knob in the frame.

well? are we pushing a button or turning a knob? Make up your mind, people!

Re:which one is it?

[ZenKen]

It's obvious. It's a clickwheel without the patent implications!

cool!

[Rellik66]

now let's implement mood ring technology into these glasses so me and people around me know what mood I am in.

Re:cool!

[Loconut1389]

Guys glasses would all be the same color all the time then, what fun is that?

Re:cool!

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, but what color is "horny"? Hmmmm, blue maybe?

Geeky Glasses

[Anonymous Coward]

Slashhdotters might try this out, but soon they'll be crawling back to their 60's frames with tape on the nose piece.

Similar stuff at Berkeley

[SpaghettiPattern]

Berkeley did similar work back in the 70-ies. Letting people see all kinds of colors. While hacking BSD.

Re:Similar stuff at Berkeley

[Builder]

Damn this place is sad... Does no-one honour the memory of the great man Leary anymore ? Where's the funny people ?

Re:Similar stuff at Berkeley

[TempeTerra]

"There are two major products that came out of Berkeley: LSD and UNIX. We don't believe this to be a coincidence."
        - Jeremy S. Anderson

Re:Similar stuff at Berkeley

[AndrewM1]

Yep. Judging by quality of BSD and the LSD usage rates in California, the developers of BSD were seeing *quite* a few different colours...

Re:Similar stuff at Berkeley

[ryanguill]

Berkeley did similar work back in the 70-ies. Letting people see all kinds of colors. While doing LSD.

fixed that for you.

Electric sunglasses?

[ResidntGeek]

With inventions like this, does anyone wonder why the world is dying of pollution? Do we really need electricity running our sunglasses, simply for the dubious pleasure of changing the color a few times before getting bored with it?

Re:Electric sunglasses?

[OurCompliments]

Wow, rtfa, a watch battery can power the thing for thousands of transitions, and each transition can last for up to 30 days. Also, think of the other uses the technology could have. It sure is a good thing there isn't people like you running important research facilities.

Re:Electric sunglasses?

[ResidntGeek]

Wow, rtfa, a watch battery can power the thing for thousands of transitions, and each transition can last for up to 30 days. Also, think of the other uses the technology could have. It sure is a good thing there isn't people like you running important research facilities.

Right, so if 10,000 people buy them and get bored, with, say, a few hundred of those having legitimate need, that's another almost 10,000 watch batteries made, charged, and thrown away. Probably the sunglasses too; who wants a useless knob on their sunglasses? Much better to throw them away and buy normal sunglasses than look slightly different than other people. So there's also energy wasted on manufacturing the sunglasses, and some crap dumped into the atmosphere in the process. Yay modern technology.

You have a point about there being possible other uses for the technology. The article mentioned energy-efficient smart windows. Maybe that'll offset the waste of energy and resources the sunglasses create. I'd probably still find a reason to bitch about it, though.

Re:Electric sunglasses?

[x2A]

These are new... I hardly think you can say they're responsible for killing the entire world with pollution.

And btw, you're using far more energy reading and posting on slashdot. Look to your own habits before complaining about others.

Re:Electric sunglasses?

[Ahayuta]

Do we really need electricity running our sunglasses, simply for the dubious pleasure of changing the color a few times before getting bored with it?
Yes... yes we do.

Re:Electric sunglasses?

[SCHecklerX]

These have great uses. Ever been skiing/snowboarding all day? That transition from day skiing to night can be a bitch. It'd also be nice to only have to deal with one pair of glasses at 24 hour mountain bike races. That dawn lap transition can suck if you come out of the woods facing east. Same goes for sunset and transition to using your lights. Clear at night. Yellow in the woods. On the snowboard go between dark during the day to rose/yellow when the light is flat, and then to clear.

Re:Electric sunglasses?

[Anonymous Coward]

who wants a useless knob on their sunglasses? Does that refer to the people wearing them?

Tyrell corp.

[Anonymous Coward]

Finaly I can have the same neat windows as mr. Tyrell! I think I will put them in my living room.

Already available in welding helmets

[Anonymous Coward]

Dial in variable density, and variable reaction time. Goes from shade 2 to shade 15 in microseconds, as soon as it senses the arc. You can find chinese knockoffs at Harbor Freight for 50 bucks.

Re:Oh Great

[Anonymous Coward]

>By the way, people who drive with sunglasses at night are not assholes, they are dickheads. There's a subtle distinction.

No way - we're kewl!

What We Really Need.....

[IHC Navistar]

Sunglasses that change darkness? Yawn. So what? they'll just make the cost prohibitively expensive, making the invention pretty useless as an everyday thing.

What we *REALLY* need is a pair of glasses that change shade, color, a heads-up-display, bluetooth, defog, AND have a neat-o pair of windshield wipers built in. THEN I'll shovel out the cash.

A big fake rubber nose and fake bushy eyebrows would be a bonus!

Not that cool?

[ProfessionalCookie]

The video just shows them changing from blue to clear...just like any old...that was a lame episode of lost...calculator. I hope it's cooler.

Re:Sunglasses? Colors? Pfft.

[scooter.higher]

Google can be your friend... a quick search revealed this:

http://www.eyesbright.com/productid/Mirrored-Conta ct-Lenses/product.htm

Chemists?

[treeves]

Many readers have submitted this story of chemists. . .

And if they'd read the info at the UW website they'd see that she's in the Mechanical Engineering Dept. not Chemistry. Still, she is doing stuff with chemistry so I guess "chemist" isn't totally wrong.

Re:Chemists?

[bloobloo]

Yes, chemists. Digging deeper into the UW website though you'll find this: "CIMS researchers have a broad background covering mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, polymer chemistry, materials science, bioengineering, and biology." And Chunye Xu is a chemical engineer by training.

look around: flip up dark visors

[Anonymous Coward]

Look around on the market: several types have an extra dark visor that you can slide down/up while driving. I've been using these for years.

For example: http://www.nolanhelmets.com/n102.htm. This extra visor is on the outside, and gets dirty.

Some other helmets have a visor inside the main visor, and those stay clean, but the helmets cost a bit more.

Re:Sunglasses? Colors? Pfft.

[zmollusc]

Sublet? Is that you?

Re:Oh Great

[hcdejong]

Aren't there yellow glasses for people with bad night vision that reduce glare?

Yup. I've got a pair of those. AFAIK my night vision is okay, but headlight glare annoys me; driving with these glasses is a lot less tiring. I also use them during dusk/dawn and in bad weather: they decrease contrast, making dark areas more visible.

Finally

[gnork]

W00t, we have sunglasses that _can_ turn dark in case of extreme danger.

Duhhh

[Anonymous Coward]

sunglasses with button + photoelectic cell = automatic sunglasses !

Wider applications?

[Elanor]

Total Recall: Secretary in the fantasy implant place is playing with her nails - changing the colour of them with the touch of a wand. I've ALWAYS wanted to be able to do that (who wants to mess about with messy nail polish?).

Wonder if this could be ported to the manicare sector?

  - Lnr

Re:Wider applications?

[Anonymous Coward]

What I want, is that the secretary dresses like in the original Philip K. Dick story: naked from the waist up, with her breasts painted blue :)

Re:Wider applications?

[geekoid]

'Total Recall', or the 'Fifth Element'?
hmm maybe both.

Old news

[holy_calamity]

Electrochromics have been figured out for a long time. You can already buy rear view mirrors for cars and a motorcycle helmet with an electrochromic visor has been around since 2003. Nothing to see here.

Re:Old news

[Anonymous Coward]

Useless, it's only the main one. How about side mirrors! Stupid bright headlights..

Not smart...

[OCedHrt]

How are these smart if you have to select the option manually? Not that it's a bad thing.

Smart sunglasses would be like transition lens, which adjust automatically to the amount of UV.

Oh, cut the bleeding heart crap, will ya?

[Anonymous Coward]

We've all got our switches, lights, and knobs to deal with, Striker. I mean, down here there are literally hundreds and thousands of blinking, beeping, and flashing lights, blinking and beeping and flashing - they're *flashing* and they're *beeping*. I can't stand it anymore! They're *blinking* and *beeping* and *flashing*! Why doesn't somebody pull the plug!

Re:Sunglasses? Colors? Pfft.

[Anonymous Coward]

When somebody takes a flash photo of me it'll look like my head is exploding.

Some people are using a similar approach to defeit automatic traffic control. They mount a slave-flash (A flash activated by another flash) just below the cars license-plate. Trying to take a flash photo of it is impossible.

Yes, please!

[hcdejong]

Once they introduce a version that can be added as a coating to regular glasses, that is. It's got to be better than using clip-ons.

Funny

[Chris whatever]

I can see the headlines in the future

Car crashed, police reports says that the driver had a red opaque pair of glasses, knob on glasss found to be defective. The person wanted to be cool while driving, it got even colder when he was not able to see where he was driving, you can say he only saw red.

Oh OH

tiny knob anxiety

[ohell]

The glasses will let the wearer instantly change the color of their lenses to virtually any hue by tuning a tiny electronic knob in the frame. I suspect that these will be used mainly to camouflage tiny biological knobs that cause so much anxiety in rich men of a certain age.

I have a special version of these glasses...

[AragornSonOfArathorn]

...designed for adventurers. The lenses turn blue when orcs are near.

Re:I have a special version of these glasses...

[geekoid]

well done.

Re:Let the "make mine peril sensitive" jokes begin

[Anonymous Coward]

That's what immediately came to mind for me as well.

Better than they have now

[Anonymous Coward]

They've had light-sensitive sunglasses since before the 70s, the ones you see advertised as "Visions". I'm not sure when they came out, but I had a pair in 1973.

Do not buy these glasses! Your pupils' contraction is controlled by muscles. After six months or so of wearing them, the muscles atrophy, and bright light hurts your eyes as bad as if you weren't wearing sunglasses at all.

Now, this new tech in TFA seems like it would overcome that; they would be like putting on a pair of normal sunglasses. I don't see that they would make your eyes' muscles atrophy like the "Visions" glasses do.

So, wouldn't you know it? Now that I don't wear glasses any more they come up with this! Damn!

I'd like to see (spoken in John Cleese standing in street with two bricks voice) windows made like this! They wouldn't even need to change colors, just darken at the turn of a knob. You could have them powered by solar cells. This would be good in your house or car.

Here in Illinois you can't have the really dark windows. With this, you could have the dark windows and lighten them to complete transparency when the cop pulled you over, both keeping you from getting a ticket and keeping the police officer safe (the original purpose of the law).

This would also ge great for motorcycle visors as well. I can't wait until this tech matures!

-mcgrew

Prediction for next /. story

[thegnu]

You should try wearing a larger pair of horizontally polarized sunglasses on top of a normal pair of vertically polarized sunglasses.

CMDRTACO, COWBOYNEAL CRUSHED BY 18-WHEELER

Re:Oh Great

[SenFo]

Interesting. I ride motorcycles and always wear a full-face helmet. One of the problems I have is that in the morning, the sunlight can be incredibly bright, so I like to wear a reflective shield, which acts like sunglasses. The problem, of course, is that in the evening, it makes it difficult to see (it's almost impossible to ride with a reflective shield at night). This is also true at high noon on country roads where the trees create shadows on the road. I'll have to check into a shield with a yellow tint.

By the way, I wear ski goggles with a yellow tint and everything looks really weird when I take them off after having them on all day!

Obyoutube 'In The future...'

[objekt]

Here's a ad for Transitions. In the future, everyone will walk around looking smug.

Re:Obyoutube 'In The future...'

[skiflyer]

Which I love, cause I started working in an optical lab in 1992, and we were cutting transitions, and they weren't new then. Not to mention it has been done in glass lenses (vs. plastic) for even longer under the name Photogray. And back then anyway, the glass ones worked better.

Re:Obyoutube 'In The future...'

[LBt1st]

Anyone know a rough price for these? I Really like the two flip up helmets linked below but these Transitions seem quite ideal for someone with less then perfect vision.

Re:Obyoutube 'In The future...'

[pyhack]

Anyone know a rough price for these? It's been a while, so I can't remember the exact price, but I got a pair of Transitions glasses from Costco , for something in the $125 range (incl. frames, (prescription) transitions lenses & anti-reflective treatment).

See http://www.costco.com/Service/FeaturePage.aspx?Pro ductNo=11173266

National Treasure

[Wisconsingod]

Did no one here see the 2004 movie National Treasure.... Benjamin Franklin invented these multi colored glasses centuries ago. see image here

one more to add to the list

[ShorePiper82]

In other news... inattentive driver accidents are on the rise. In one such incidient the subject was found to be adjusting their glasses to the appropriate level of bling while speeding through an intersection.

Well, I won't be happy...

[Anonymous Coward]

...until they can change colors by the Tip of my Hat or the Wag of my Finger!

This would be great for ski/snowboard goggles

[Alligator427]

This would be a fantastic technology for snowboarding goggles, where you often need to swap goggles for different lighting conditions. I hate having to swap the lenses in my goggles between day/night riding, or having my sunshine lenses on on the sunny side of the mountain and then going into the glades or backside and wishing I had a tinted lens to help me see better.

If they really were "smart" sunglasses...

[Floritard]

wouldn't they tell you what color they should be?

nice...

[dont_drop_tha_f-bomb]

This is cool...it's like James Bond meets the peak of nerdity!

Bad resolution

[owlstead]

Bah, only 1-1 pixel resolution, I'll wait until higher resolutions become available. Also, only a one/two second refresh rate? Who are they kidding? Dial knob? Don't they know that small push buttons are all the hype at the moment?

Where's the Remote?

[Plekto]

It seems like it would be infinitely simpler to have a small remote control dongle that you could put in your pocket or on your keychain.

Someone mentioned the idea of using these while riding his motorcycle. With such a remote, you could switch the color without having to actually touch them. This would also work well for soldiers, doctors, machinists(assuming they make safety glasses like this(welding?)) and anyone else who normally has their hands occupied. A small remote on the side of your belt or gun is a lot easier than reaching up to your helmet for a miniture knob(or when you have gloves on).

The antenna easily could be built into the earpiece and keyed to a specific remote(of course the manual knob would still work as a backup)

American Welding Society members already use them.

[NRAdude]

Greetings.

There is nothing nerdy about this technology. It has existed for Welder operators, so they don't need to be distracted with a complex hood and mask while holding the Work with one hand while holding the Welding instrument with the other. I didn't look into the URL referenced in the article, so I'll make a discernment with Notice of any change in the technology, that the Welding utilities that accomplish this feat come as either Solar-Powered with Batteries or limited to Battery-Powered and the LCD shade will activate when is sensed a certain intensity of light consistent with Welder activity.

Now the nerdy part of this would be to modify existing Welder shades on the small-factor Welder goggles for daily use. I would rather have a pair of square Welder goggles adapted for daily use, other than be stuck with a punk pair of day/night glasses that can't be used for rugged tasks.

That said, I believe a complete welding helmet with LCD shutters can be purchased on Yahoo Auctions or eBay Auctions for about USD 25; And here is a directory on eBay, where I see one mask with built-in LCD shutters for USD 60.

Hey, stupid

[geekoid]

Your supposed to stop and then put on or take off your sunglasses.

You are risking the lives of others because your too fucking lazy.

And people on motorcycles complain about other people. shit.

OTOH, I look forward to reading about you at the Darwin awards.

Music

[k31bang]

I didn't RTFA, but will i be able to plug my digital music player into these and have the colors change to the beat?

one of us will

[Coraon]

I cant wait to get one of these remove the variable resistor for the colour change and replace it will a mood sensor, that way when I'm happy or sad the cloour changes, right now, I'm thinking stressed will be bright red.

How transparent is transparent?

[hcdejong]

I know some people who have glasses with a coating that reacts to the amount of light. Even indoors, those glasses are always slightly tinted (maybe 10%). You probably get used to that, but it seems to me that sometimes that 10% is too much. This electrochromatic coating better be completely transparent.

Oh, and what about failure modes? If the battery dies, will the glasses go dark or transparent?

Re:Oh Great

[Anonymous Coward]

the term "wearing my sunglasses at night" is a euphemism for cocaine usage. Said usage causes the pupils to dilate and make the user extremely sensitive to light. This makes it a necessity to shield the eyes from any intense light sources, such as headlights or streetlights.