Nearsightedness happens commonly in our 40s when the lenses in our eyes can no longer change focus between objects. Despite a pair of reading glasses can help us concentrate on the close-up material, it is pretty inconvenient to take off glasses to view distant objects. In this light, scientists from the University of Utah invented a "saviour of nearsightedness"— a prototype of smart glasses that focus automatically on anything you are looking at within 14 milliseconds, regardless of the distance.

A thick and transparent liquid, glycerin, is enclosed within membranes of the prototype. The frame holds electronics, a battery and an infrared distance meter. The meter gauges the distance between object and lenses, and sends a signal to the mechanical actuator on the back of the membrane. Within 14 milliseconds, the actuator switches focus from one object to another, delivering clear vision to the wearer.

Unlike the lenses in normal glasses which are specifically curved to help one's eyes focus on something close or distant, the lenses of the smart glasses are adjustable. The electronically activated lenses and infrared distance meters can meet the particular needs of individuals with a smartphone app. It allows users to upload their prescriptions to automatically calibrate the lenses through Bluetooth. In other words, we can simply update our data when our eyesight changes and keep the same pair of glasses.