Light Sight
Reading Re-Imagined
by Hunter Faria
Function Description:
Have you ever been reading in bed and realized that once you are done you will have to get up and turn the light off, and well, that is simply the last thing you want to do, or you are physically unable to do so. Have you ever lived with roommates or shared a room where you wanted to stay up late to finish work but the others wanted to sleep-- leading to an awkward discussion whether the lights should remain on or off, where one party ends up at a disadvantage. Whatever situation occurs, Light Sight is ready to handle it.
Light Sight glasses are glasses that project light, making it so one is able to read or do work in any setting. Light Sight glasses have an LED light strip going across the top bar, covered by a piece of polycarbonate hard plastic to diffuse the light. The glasses light up by adjusting the knob on the side of the top frame. Being able to adjust the brightness of the glasses makes it so the user can choose their preference, and since realistically, different brightness is used in different situations. The glasses require charging via micro USB. Light Sight glasses fit around the head rather than behind the ears for comfort purposes and so one is able to still wear their normal reading glasses underneath. Light Sight glasses are light, adjustable, and comfortable so every user is able to customize their glasses and make it their own!
Aesthetic Description & Justifications:
Light Sight glasses are modern yet practical with an industrial feel; what you see is what you get. The glasses are black with smooth finishing all around. The plastic frames have a matte finish so there is not any sort of distracting reflection from the lights. The temples are smooth and flexible, allowing one to adjust the head piece based on head size and comfort level. The plastic CR-39 lenses are smooth with its original plastic finish. The polycarbonate white hard plastic has a glossy finish to it to keep up with the modern design of the matte framing. The frame and temple of the glasses are black. Black is a modern, simple, and non-distracting color and will never go out of style. The cross-linked polyethylene is also black to blend in with the frame and temple. The screws are silver to give the glasses an industrial, sophisticated look. The LED light strip is also black and projects a white light that is protected by the white polycarbonate plastic. Black and white are simple, traditional colors that will never go out of style and are suitable for everyone. Symbolically, they also match the colors of book pages.
Materials Description & Justifications:
o Nylon 66 hard plastic is used for the framing of the glasses and for the temples of the glasses. Nylon 66 is durable and light which is best for the comfort of glasses and for the ability to wrap around the head.
o Plastic CR-39 is used for the lenses. These lenses are non-prescribed, making it so one can still wear their prescribed glasses underneath. Plastic CR-39 is lightweight, thin, and impact-resistant and may correct vision better for some people. They also provide superior clarity.
o An LED light strip is placed across the straight edge top bar to make it so the glasses are able to light up. Polycarbonate Hard Plastic is placed on top of the LED light strip to diffuse the light and make it so the light does not get hot and potentially hurt the user.
o Since the Nylon 66 plastic is hard for both the framing and the temples, I added Cross-Linked Polyethylene foam to add comfort to the sides of the temples since they go around the head rather than behind the ear.
Research:
When I began sketching for this project, I realized I had no idea the offical terms for parts of eyeglasses. This was required information to know as I would soon be adding different materials, such as lights and foam, the the top bar and temples.
After researching the evolution of eyeglasses, it stood out to me that there has not been a pair that project light. Our society has advanced greatly in every aspect since the Middle Ages, especially in eyewear; now having digital technology based eyewear, but a simple pair of light up glasses have not yet been invented.
Majority of my research was spent on finding the most suitable materials for Light Sight glasses. For the framing and temples of Light Sight glasses, I wanted them to be similar to the plastic used for the 3D glasses at Disneyland: The material closest to this is Nylon 66.
For the lens of Light Sight glasses, I researched popular types of lenses used today that were non-prescribed and it ultimately came down to choosing between Plastic CR-39 versus Polycorbonate Lenses. I chose CR-39 because it is inexpensive to produce, is half as heavy as glass, is far less likely to shatter, and is optical quality nearly as good as glass. CR-39 is heated and poured into optical quality glass moulds – adapting the qualities of glass very closely. Most lenses in glasses today are made of CR-39 plastic, or very close copies
Sketchup Models:
Refined Sketches:
Package Prototype:
Budget:
