Wearable technology has gradually become the next big trend, consumers want the information from their smartphone to be attached to their body, making it all the more accessible and their life easier. Since September 18th, the smartglasses ION Glasses are available for purchase in the crowdfunding platform indiegogo.com.
Although indistinguishable from standard and prescription eyeglasses, the ION Glasses technology consists in a Bluetooth 4.0 chip built into the frame and invisible to the naked eye, it permits the user to receive any type of information and remotely control electronic devices.
ION glasses functions can be compare much like a smartwatch in that they can communicate with the user’s iOS and Android devices. The difference with the Google Glass is that they have a more fashionable design, different features and open software so that any developer can propose new functions.
The famous and worldwide admired designer Mac Funamizu has accepted to create a new ION Glasses model. They will have the same capacities and functions of original ION Glasses. Funamizu has been awarded, among others, with the Red Dot Design Award “Best of the Best” 2013 and 2009.
ION Glasses founders decided to open the glasses software to any developer who wants to program new functions (for sports, office use, healthcare, Location services and maps.) ION Glasses use a simple two-button control system and a multi-color LED, located in the right arm of the frame, to interact and communicate wirelessly through Bluetooth with smartphones or tablets, to control phone functions like the camera, music selection or other remote tasks.
Through the application available for Apple (iOS) and Android, users can choose when and how LED lights turn on to indicate any type of notifications. The frames can also be set to alert the user if they move away from their phone preventing a lost device and the app will also point the user to misplaced ION Glasses.
The glasses are ultra light; they have been manufactured with new ultra-resistant, aerospace thermoplastic resin, called ‘TR90’. Since it is a natural resin, it is also an allergenic and biodegradable material. The glasses have no harmful effect on health, the technology is CE-approved in Europe and FCC-approved internationally.
The glasses are available now through the crowdfunding platform www.indiegogo.com and from www.ionglasses.com and will begin to be delivered by late January 2014. They will be available as adjustable eyeglass frame and sunglasses. ION EYEWEAR is an initiative of entrepreneurs Santiago Ambit and Ricardo Urías.
Santiago is an agricultural engineer who, despite his youth, has had a career as an inventor, which has earned him ten innovation awards. He won the 2006 best global creative award, where he shared the stage with the likes of Philippe Starck, Guy Laliberté, Ferran Adrià and the creators of Google. His inventions include plants that send out a tweet when they need to be watered and shoes for the blind.
Ricardo Urías is an industrial engineer. In addition to having launched several entrepreneurial projects, he has a long career as executive of leading national and international companies in the areas of consulting, marketing and communication, including Havas Media, Publicis, Procter & Gamble, Radiotelevisión Española and United Biscuits.
