Automatic Portable Phoropter and Auto Focus Glasses using an Integrated Variable Focal Liquid Lens

A third of the world’s population has poor vision and can’t obtain visual aids, negatively impacting economies and societies. People also use multifocal eyeglasses instead of using multiple glasses with various prescriptions. Although multifocal lenses combat the need for multiple glasses, it confines vision by only providing users a narrow field to view objects. These glasses cause eye strain/fatigue and chronic neck problems/pain. This project aims to create a device that can integrate a voltage-controlled liquid lens to change lens curvature to mimic phoropters and multifocal visual aids without their associated problems. Data obtained on the “percent increase in visual acuity” in relation to participants' original visual acuity show that the average increase using auto focal glasses (58.06%) was significantly higher than the average increase using current visual aids (41.33%). This difference was determined to be significant showing with 95% confidence that the device was able to improve vision in comparison to commonly used visual aids. This device improves vision as it allows for finer adjustments to be made by the user to focus light on the optic nerve. The device was also effective in improving vision due to the blocking of stray light caused by the reduced aperture of the lens which increases visual acuity. In conclusion, this auto focal visual aid improved a user’s vision significantly more than the user’s current visual aids as these auto focal glasses can adjust and adapt to the user’s current visual needs.

National:

1. American Junior Academy of Science Conference - Kentucky Delegate

State:

1. Kentucky Junior Academy of Science - Best in Fair

2. Kentucky Junior Academy of Science - Engineering & Technology - First Place

3. Kentucky Science and Engineering Fair - First Place

4. Naval / Marine Corp Excellence in Research Award

Regional:

1. duPont Manual Regional Science and Engineering Fair - Biomedical Engineering - First Place