Imagine what your life would be like if you needed glasses but couldn’t afford a pair. You would struggle to work, look after your family, and do all kinds of things glasses-wearers take for granted.
This is the fate suffered by up to 700 million worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. And various social initiatives, such as VisionSpring and the Centre for Vision in the Developing World, have been trying to help.
The latest idea comes from Evan Madill and Nathan Brajer, two graduates from Washington University in St. Louis. Their approach involves breaking down each pair of glasses into three components–lens, lens holder and wire to hold everything together–to create a design that is flexible and highly portable.
“We spent quite a bit of time doing research and kicking different ideas around,” Madill says. “Eventually, we decided that interchangeable lenses would be the best way of providing some adjustability without driving up costs.”
See Brajer demonstrate the kit below: