If you're not a big fan of annual visits to the eye doctor, you'll probably be happy to meet the Vision Check 2, a new health-focused gadget that was announced at CES 2021 and which tests and measures the degree of glasses in an app, without the need for a medical consultation. The accessory was chosen as one of the best in innovation at this CES, in the Health & Wellness, Mobile Devices & Accessories category.
According to data released by the company specializing in vision tests, VisionCheck 2 is a reliable and accurate way to test the prescription of glasses. They ensure that the gadget accurately passes the information necessary for the configuration of the new pair to the app. Phoebe Yu, the company's vice president of marketing, gave an interview to Digital Trends. and talked more about the accessory.
In their words: “We introduced the first smartphone-enabled home refractometer in October 2016 and have announced a suite of award-winning products since then. Now, our next-generation VisionCheck 2 has been completely redesigned to make testing faster and easier.”
“We’ve been developing this product over the past two years based on feedback from our members, who have completed nearly 150.000 tests using our proprietary technology. We’ve designed a better user experience for you with an all-new form factor, app design and test screen, meaning faster, easier and more accurate results can be achieved by more people,” he concluded. It’s clear that the executive is optimistic about the gadget’s success.
And how does this work in practice?
EyeQue's VisionCheck 2 works by connecting it to a smartphone and, after accessing the app, it measures the refractive error and the distance between the pupils, the first steps in testing vision and determining the prescription for glasses. From there, the user turns a pair of knobs to move a yellow line closer or further away. Based on the number of movements, the algorithm calculates the refractive error.
After testing three times consistently, the user can see the numbers displayed in the app. With this data, the user can look for an optician to change the prescription of the glasses. In addition, EyeQue also sells cheap glasses on its website, which the customer can buy to confirm that everything is correct before ordering more expensive glasses.
App does not eliminate the need for consultations
The EyeQue executive made sure to point out, however, that the app does not mean that users no longer need to go to the ophthalmologist. Despite the app's efficiency in testing eyeglass prescriptions, it is essential that people continue to have regular checkups. These checkups, Yu emphasized, are what make it possible to identify eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration, which cannot be identified by VisionCheck 2.
The gadget presented at CES 2021 is not yet on the market, but it is in pre-sale on the crowdfunding site Kickstarter for $65 (or about R$342, in direct conversion). The crowdfunding campaign even surpassed its goal with leftovers. In addition, the company plans to put the VisionCheck 2 on shelves in the US in May, but then the price will increase to $98 (or R$516).
Are you curious about this accessory? The company has created a virtual stand to present it better, check here.