Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SEECLEAR (Feasibility of ergonomic interface for adaptive eyeglasses for presbyopia correction.)
Période du rapport: 2020-01-01 au 2020-06-30
Laclarée develops adaptive eyeglasses for presbyopia correction. Based on a patented technology, these eyeglasses offer presbyopes clear vision at all distances without levelling down aesthetic standards. Presbyopia appears by age 40-45 with increasing difficulties to focus at near distances and affects 400 million people in Europe, Japan and North America. Progressive lenses, featuring a vertical gradient of optical power, are today the best compromise to presbyopia correction. Still about 10% of presbyopes are very unsatisfied with these lenses, experiencing a reduced quality of life.
Laclarée’s product has been designed to answer to this demand, corresponding to about 2 b€/y. Our solution relies on a disruptive fluid-filled doublet-lens activated by low-power microfluidic actuators inserted in the eyeglass arms and driven by a miniature infrared distance sensor. The lens offers a large field of view, is as transparent as any other
ophthalmic lens and is compatible with most lens shapes and frame styles.
Laclarée’s team gathers extensive skills in optics, microfluidic and vision science. The founder of Laclarée is an experienced entrepreneur, he has successfully established a world-leading company in variable optics for cameras. The team has achieved the Proof of Concept, with a fully functional demonstrator, enabling a small-scale trial with presbyopic people and raising a marked interest from the ecosystem. Laclarée has made a seed round with two major investors specialized in seed investment, one French and one German.
A feasibility study on the user interface is crucial for market acceptance of our eyeglasses.
Mode switching between automatic and manual operations is needed and making it natural and easy-to-use is a difficult task, considering the age of presbyopes as well as the technical and social constraints of the product.
Laclarée’s product has been designed to answer to this demand, corresponding to about 2 b€/y. Our solution relies on a disruptive fluid-filled doublet-lens activated by low-power microfluidic actuators inserted in the eyeglass arms and driven by a miniature infrared distance sensor. The lens offers a large field of view, is as transparent as any other
ophthalmic lens and is compatible with most lens shapes and frame styles.
Laclarée’s team gathers extensive skills in optics, microfluidic and vision science. The founder of Laclarée is an experienced entrepreneur, he has successfully established a world-leading company in variable optics for cameras. The team has achieved the Proof of Concept, with a fully functional demonstrator, enabling a small-scale trial with presbyopic people and raising a marked interest from the ecosystem. Laclarée has made a seed round with two major investors specialized in seed investment, one French and one German.
A feasibility study on the user interface is crucial for market acceptance of our eyeglasses.
Mode switching between automatic and manual operations is needed and making it natural and easy-to-use is a difficult task, considering the age of presbyopes as well as the technical and social constraints of the product.
The usefulness of the technology was thoroughly demonstrated through surveys, wearer tests, feedbacks from experts of the ecosystem. In SME Instrument Phase I program, Laclarée has focused on usability and desirability. More precisely, thanks to Europe’s financial support, Laclarée has completed a feasibility study on the user interface. Targeting efficiency, efficacity and satisfaction of use is challenging, considering the size constraint, the consumption budget and social acceptance (eyeglasses are worn at all times). We have upgraded the autofocus mode and to complement it, we could implement a manual focus mode based on a lateral touchpad using minute forces from the finger on the eyeglass arms. This provides a viable solution for the manual focus mode, a mandatory feature in our user interface. This solution is now embedded in our prototype and has been tested in a preliminary wearer test.
In addition, during the SME Instrument program, the management team of Laclarée experienced coaching sessions, which helped to introduce key improvements and innovating ideas in the business model. In particular, some changes regarding the approach of the direct customers, the optical retailers, were made, in order to build an active community, thus bringing a credible way to market introduction.