VSP Global, comprised of a collective group of businesses focused on vision care and optics, is working on technology to include a wearable device into eyewear that’s centered at the temple part of the frames. This would remove the need for an additional physical product like your average wrist device.
Project Genesis is the company’s effort to allow people to monitor their health and the correlated statistics other wearables provide using a product many would purchase anyway – eyeglasses.
The project is geared toward providing people with a product that’s fashionable while still serving the purpose of improving health. For this reason, it helps that VSP is connected with Marchon Eyewear for the frames, which includes styles from many designers, including Calvin Klein, Diane von Furstenberg and Nike.
When Investment Rhymes with Canada
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
The SHOP was established two and a half years ago as an innovation lab for VSP Global and is co-run by Jay Sales. He says that although VSP has been around and providing great eyewear for 60 years, The SHOP has been the initiative to hit the next 60 year-mark with new innovation and creative minds from all angles – which includes the current prototype for this device.
As far as how the idea came about, Sales explained:
“[Glasses] are the only wearable technology people put on their faces every day. When you recognize that and that it’s already solving a problem, it made for a natural pull for wearable technology that can make a difference in people’s lives.”
So how does this type of wearable device compare to what many are currently wearing on their wrists, such as Fitbit or an Apple Watch? Sales says that being close to the head gives the device a lot more opportunities to monitor posture and other aspects associated with our center of gravity, which can end up being more accurate.
When it comes to funding and development for this continuing project, our sources said they have partnerships with organizations such as University of California’s Center for Body Computing and that there is an executive sponsor within VSP Global.
For people who wear glasses anyway and have an interest in devices to keep track of their health, this could definitely be a “kill two birds with one stone” option.
Sales predicts that ideally the device will be ready for the public within a year.
