Autofocusing Smart Glasses With Eye Tracking Tech Could Make Bifocals Obsolete
An eyewear breakthrough by an Amazon-backed Finnish startup, IXI, is promising to end the era of clunky bifocals and the "head-tilt" struggle of progressive lenses, replacing them with a pair of glasses that focus as naturally as the human eye.
Revealed in its latest prototype at CES 2026, the IXI autofocusing glasses specifically target presbyopia, which is age-related (usually those 45 and above) farsightedness. While traditional solutions like bifocals and progressives rely on fixed, multi-zoned lenses that require users to tilt their heads or peer through narrow sweet spots, IXI’s glasses adjust the entire lens in real-time. By tracking the wearer's gaze, the glasses switch between a distance prescription and a reading boost almost instantly.
The device's secret sauce here lies in a combination of infrared eye tracking and liquid crystal-transparent indium tin oxide glasses. IXI utilizes a system of tiny LEDs and photodiodes embedded in the frame which bounce infrared light off the eye to measure the subtle way eyes move inward when focusing on something close (a.k.a. convergence). This method is quite efficient, consuming four milliwatts of power, which allows the electronics and a day-long battery to be tucked into frames that are as slim and lightweight as a standard pair of designer spectacles.
When the sensors detect a change in focus, they send an electrical signal to the lenses, which contain a thin layer of liquid crystal sandwiched between conductive ITO layers. These crystals respond to the electrical field by physically shifting their structure, altering how they bend light. This change happens in about 0.2 seconds, thus tuning the prescription to the object currently in view. When the battery dies, the glasses continue to function as a traditional pair of single-vision specs, ensuring the wearer is never left in the dark or have safety compromised such as when driving or operating machinery.
IXI’s CEO Niko Eiden suggests the glasses could one day adapt prescriptions dynamically throughout the day to combat eye fatigue. The sensors could also provide health insights, such as detecting dry eyes or monitoring posture. Even as the company is in the process of clearing medical certifications, it has already partnered with Swiss manufacturer Optiswiss to bring the product to market. Positioned as a high-end luxury option, these glasses are set to launch next year initially in Europe.
