When it comes to AR technology, I believe everyone will not be unfamiliar. Although AR glasses have brought us a lot of convenient experience, these devices are obviously not very friendly to myopia patients, and the configuration of the lenses is also a time-consuming and laborious trouble. Recently, 3D printing manufacturer Luxexcel announced a new plan to use 3D printing technology for the manufacture of prescription eyeglass lenses.
3D printed prescription lenses developed by Luxecel
The company's previously developed proprietary technology can integrate smart functions into the glasses lenses to form "fashion smart glasses." The idea is that its customers (tech companies) will be able to manufacture their smart glasses products while also providing vision correction functions for users who may need it.
Luxexcel's platform contains all the components required for 3D printing prescription lenses, including proprietary hardware, software and materials. The working principle of this technology is that the acrylic resin VisionClear is sprayed onto the building board and then cured under ultraviolet light. The machine is called VisionEngine and can print on a variety of different materials, such as polymers and glass (which means it can be compatible with off-the-shelf frames), and it can also meet user requirements for air gaps.
The company's customers can directly embed smart devices such as waveguides, holographic films, and LCD screens in the lenses between the layers, and print prescription power on or around the "smart layer." The final sandwich component means that users no longer need to wear clumsy prescription glasses under bulky AR goggles, because both products can work.
3D printed lenses with embedded active foil
This technology has multiple rounds of financial support and is intended to replace the traditional lens production method, which involves multiple subtractive processing steps and polishing. According to the company, this traditional process is extremely inefficient, and material waste is about 80%. This method is also a labor-intensive method with relatively low throughput-in stark contrast to the highly digital processes provided by Luxexcel.
Luxexcel CEO Fabio Esposito said: "Our mature mass production solutions enable our customers to combine prescription drugs with smart technology to create regular-looking lenses with advanced smart functions, and can be customized according to the user's prescription requirements. The platform is extensible and provides flexibility to create a large number of products with personalized specifications, such as prescription drugs."