What if getting your eyes checked were as easy as strapping a View-Master-like device to your smartphone and following a series of on-screen prompts? If EyeQue’s kickstarter succeeds, its Insight visual acuity screeners will ship as early as March 18. The screeners could replace conventional static wall charts or illuminated wall charts found in most eye doctors’ offices. The conventional chart requires a 20-foot testing range and testing with both in-office charts must be administered by someone trained in their use.
The gamified Insight screeners allow almost anyone — even children as young as 6 — to test the clarity of their distance vision anywhere. That’s important, according to one of EyeQue’s cofounders, because we’re in the middle of a global myopia epidemic. The epidemic is driven by increased time spent indoors and by heavy use of mobile phones and laptops. The device combines the binocular viewer with the myEyeQue app and cloud-based service to screen vision for 20/20 to 20/400 in under three minutes. The screening provides exact measures of single- and dual-eye performance, with or without glasses or contacts. The device can be shared among families or large groups. Health Tech Insider previously reported on EyeQue’s development of a low-cost optical scope that attaches to a smartphone’s screen. That $30 device makes it easier and faster for you to check your vision and order prescription glasses if needed. The data from both devices is stored so users can track changes over time, and share the results with vision professionals.
The $129.99 EyeQue Insight is now available for pre-order on Kickstarter for as little as $85. Individual account subscriptions are available for $4.95 a year. The screener will be available for hands-on demonstration Jan. 9-12 at the International CES show in Las Vegas.
