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Autofocusing reading glasses of the future | Nitish Padmanaban

Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more. As you age, you gradually lose the ability to refocus your eyes — a phenomenon as old as humanity itself — leading to a reliance on bifocals, contacts and procedures like LASIK surgery. Electrical engineer Nitish Padmanaban offers a…

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Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.

As you age, you gradually lose the ability to refocus your eyes — a phenomenon as old as humanity itself — leading to a reliance on bifocals, contacts and procedures like LASIK surgery. Electrical engineer Nitish Padmanaban offers a glimpse of cutting-edge tech that’s truly a sight for sore eyes: dynamic, autofocusing lenses that track your sight and adjust to what you see, both near and far.

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You’re welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know. For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a Media Request here:

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108 Comments

108 Comments

  1. Rapid Science

    June 19, 2020 at 12:32 am

    One of the Best TED videos yet!!!!

  2. Dominien

    June 19, 2020 at 12:32 am

    for all of you rushing to the comments, since you just saw the video uploaded recently and you can get a bunch of likes because many will see your totally original, totally funny comment. just know, likes (internet points) are completely arbitrary so dont worry if you cant think of anything funny to say. just watch and enjoy, then if you wish simply comment your thoughts for others to enjoy, have a good day.

  3. nikki Q

    June 19, 2020 at 12:33 am

    Love this amazing please continue your amazing work

  4. PARZ1V3L PATRICK

    June 19, 2020 at 12:33 am

    I felt like this was a sales pitch for a startup.

    • Adam Mayer

      June 19, 2020 at 1:08 am

      it might be

    • Names cipty

      June 19, 2020 at 1:26 am

      Where can I invest 😂

  5. Kyle

    June 19, 2020 at 12:33 am

    Cool. I’m looking forward to an authentic accommodative intraocular lens more since I’m gonna have a cataract in 10 years…

  6. Sophisticated Swanson

    June 19, 2020 at 12:33 am

    I literally got my eye exam today.lol.

  7. Hammer Ology

    June 19, 2020 at 12:35 am

    Finally. Something real!

  8. Cress .1830

    June 19, 2020 at 12:36 am

    Augmented Reality Glasses?? Apple needs to collab with this guy!

  9. Daniel Katona

    June 19, 2020 at 12:43 am

    It’s not so hard to predict that, these are going to come as smart glasses, with many other features. So all the battery, electronics, cameras and software are already going to be there, and auto focus is just going to be in the “Accesibility” features in the settings.
    Smart glasses are going to be dope, but they could literally ruin our lifes as well. Like imagine ads projected right into your retina at any point. They will say, you can turn it off if you want, but you didn’t pay $799 for somthing you don’t want to use.

  10. Maulana Arya Jimbaran

    June 19, 2020 at 12:46 am

    Hello

  11. francisco thomas

    June 19, 2020 at 12:46 am

    1:03 me trying to focus my own hand

  12. gerry yong

    June 19, 2020 at 12:53 am

    hes like skimming through the script….

    • Sa M

      June 19, 2020 at 12:55 am

      Hi Gerry ♥️🌸💮🌸

  13. naejin

    June 19, 2020 at 12:53 am

    I’m in my early 40s, and I recently noticed that it was getting harder to have focus on objects right up to my face. I’m near sighted, so I”m accustomed to crystal clarity at short distances, so it was disappointing to notice presbyopia (which i just learned about from this video).
    This video also reminds me that for humans to compete with machines such that we don’t eventually obsoletise ourselves, people will have to intergrate with machines more…eventually leading to a type of androidism. Sci-Fiction has been talking about this for decades, but it’s starting to look closer & closer to reality.

  14. Asmaa Khaled

    June 19, 2020 at 12:53 am

    where can I find this episode in Arabic?

  15. etienne zhou

    June 19, 2020 at 12:55 am

    😎 I needed, but when? How much $?

  16. Julieta Rodrigues

    June 19, 2020 at 12:57 am

    Cool

  17. pohkhui

    June 19, 2020 at 1:00 am

    Amazing.

  18. alueus

    June 19, 2020 at 1:01 am

    bless this man and that company. i wish them luck we could all be seeing much easier in our 60s and 70s!!!

  19. Books In Review

    June 19, 2020 at 1:01 am

    “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
    ― Eleanor Roosevelt

  20. AJ

    June 19, 2020 at 1:03 am

    Not until I can see the world in f/1.8, will I ever buy these glasses.

  21. Sid Michael

    June 19, 2020 at 1:07 am

    One of the best presentation so far this year.

  22. Isaiah Higgins

    June 19, 2020 at 1:09 am

    This video was uploaded a while ago, I remember watching it.

  23. Beacon of Truth

    June 19, 2020 at 1:13 am

    How exciting! Bravo to the inventors, researchers, and developers of this hopeful, new technology!

  24. Dennis Loenhout

    June 19, 2020 at 1:17 am

    So a camera in your glasses, guess the government will love this idea…

  25. Its_Jolaine

    June 19, 2020 at 1:25 am

    AMAZING!!!

  26. Luís Henriques

    June 19, 2020 at 2:05 pm

    Checks all the boxes:
    1. Start with a joke
    2. …
    3. Profit

  27. Just Patty

    June 19, 2020 at 2:19 pm

    wooww I already want few

  28. Salim Vender

    June 19, 2020 at 2:40 pm

    Who do you know English, like American, Canadian guys?I just asked for seekin’ pair for learnin’ English!Can you give some suggestions for this?

  29. Laura Simmons

    June 19, 2020 at 3:15 pm

    Aw damn I need those now

  30. Alberto Figueroa

    June 19, 2020 at 3:35 pm

    6:00 Pull the lever KRONK!!!!

  31. Gung-Ho Nature Game Casts

    June 19, 2020 at 3:49 pm

    T&A T&A! But Suuuuuuperrrrrrrrrrr

  32. neovask

    June 19, 2020 at 4:26 pm

    Misinformation: EVERYBODY WILL become myopic by the age of 60. WRONG.
    You can maintain accommodation power of your eyes by following preventive interventions, the earlier started the better:
    1. Accommodation exercises.
    2. 20 20 rule. After every 20 minutes of reading or near range visual work, take a 20 seconds break to look at distant objects.
    3. UV Rays protection. Prevents lens hardening. Also prevents cataract development.
    4. Exercises for external ocular muscles.
    5. Adequate intake of Vit A.
    6. 50 grams intake of different types of berries per day, depending upon easy & cheap availability.
    1.

  33. COOL A.C

    June 19, 2020 at 4:50 pm

    Estoy a aqui por que quiero aprender hablar english

    • Joey Thaman

      June 19, 2020 at 11:06 pm

      You got this!

  34. FireBlade98HUN

    June 19, 2020 at 4:58 pm

    They didn’t include that the glasses are connected to the internet, selling all your private footage to Google

  35. Aamir Bashir

    June 19, 2020 at 5:30 pm

    Where can I buy one?

  36. Jacque Peach

    June 19, 2020 at 5:31 pm

    WOW. I would buy a pair.

  37. Random Videos

    June 19, 2020 at 6:46 pm

    Im still waiting for X-ray glasses.

  38. Lisa Love Ministries

    June 19, 2020 at 6:50 pm

    Develop a personal relationship with Christ our Savior.👑
    John 14:6

  39. thegreatmonster

    June 19, 2020 at 6:56 pm

    So… imagine you’re in the woods, it’s quiet, and all of a sudden you hear a voice. You are scared. This is bear country. You look around, but see nothing. You stop and turn to see if you can notice anything around you. Nothing, oh wait… what’s that, just when you didn’t need this… your autofocus reading glasses want a software update, and goes full automatically into downloading. Son of a… Now what?

  40. Light Worm

    June 19, 2020 at 7:17 pm

    This is so cool

  41. slendrmusic

    June 19, 2020 at 7:20 pm

    Awesome! Now I can continue gaming in the dark without stressing

  42. Hilal Ziauddin

    June 19, 2020 at 8:37 pm

    What! Reading glasses still in the future? Now that aint my future.

  43. Shritej

    June 19, 2020 at 8:55 pm

    Excellent idea!!👍👍👌👌

  44. S

    June 19, 2020 at 8:55 pm

    what about replacing the lenses in our eyes? I know carl zeiss make a malleable fresnel lens for human eyes but it gives a halo affect around light sources at night.

  45. Esteban Carrillo

    June 19, 2020 at 9:18 pm

    Shut up and take my money!

  46. dxxPacmanxxb

    June 19, 2020 at 9:46 pm

    in 50 years maybe

  47. James O’Loughlin

    June 19, 2020 at 10:01 pm

    TEDTalk or VC pitch? I bet Apple will buy them up though.

  48. andy low

    June 19, 2020 at 11:28 pm

    if one will use several video sensors he can achieve almost all objects in focus simultaneously.

  49. Leotique

    June 19, 2020 at 11:55 pm

    Omg, I have this :/

  50. Manny S.

    June 20, 2020 at 12:15 am

    I’ll be expecting this in Apple Glasses Pro. Apple glass 1 will be announced this October 2020.

  51. atimholt

    June 20, 2020 at 3:22 am

    This would also be extremely useful in VR. Lack of focal depth is one of the tougher problems in that space. With this tech, you’d want to reverse the effect so that your eyes have to focus as they would in real life. You can also tweak it for those with vision problems, of course.

  52. jesse e

    June 20, 2020 at 5:10 am

    Well this whole condition sounds like good news for me, I started out near sighted. So what he is saying is that I will get better at seeing farther each passing year…. 😂😂😂

  53. Alex Anderson

    June 20, 2020 at 6:28 am

    How about translating glasses?

  54. Freek Monsuur

    June 20, 2020 at 6:36 am

    Apple can do this

  55. Guri Singh

    June 20, 2020 at 7:20 am

    Ohhh! A disruptive technology.

    A much needed solution. Good luck.

  56. neoaureus

    June 20, 2020 at 7:21 am

    Basically fit an autofocus camera in front your eyes…and you have a TedX video…well

  57. OMAR Let's PLAY 0NLINE

    June 20, 2020 at 7:26 am

    BLA BLA BLA

  58. Tero Santalahti

    June 20, 2020 at 7:46 am

    Google will buy this tech, can’t wait

  59. Ram Sharma

    June 20, 2020 at 8:13 am

    Okay, I love these glasses and the idea.

    I’ve always had this idea and wanted to implement it someday but looks like it is coming out now. I am so happy for such innovators.

  60. Diana O

    June 20, 2020 at 8:50 am

    Congratulations on a fine idea, Nitish! May your venture gain the backing you are hoping for and help those who are in need of this solution.

  61. Diana O

    June 20, 2020 at 8:55 am

    I can see the possiblities of your device in assisting the visually impaired – especially those with limited field of vision or limited capability to use normal glasses. Do keep working on this very interesting field of work. Thanks for your efforts!

  62. give me lemon pie with iced latte!

    June 20, 2020 at 10:20 am

    I can’t wait to use this amazing glasses but I know you will make it happen anyways 🙂

  63. Pat

    June 20, 2020 at 12:00 pm

    How about finding out why our natural lens stiffens with ageing, and find biochemical solution to stop or reverse the ageing effect, other animals can do it, why can’t our scientists!

  64. Agent J

    June 20, 2020 at 12:21 pm

    This is one of those in theory outstanding ideas. In practice, how reliable? The places they’d be most useful, they can’t always afford, preventable breakdowns for a convenient moment.

    Then, why the extra cost and hassle, to save a little hassle? Disabled patients is worth it, certainly. They would love to move the object themselves.

  65. Mark Harwood

    June 20, 2020 at 1:33 pm

    I would be happy with just having to manually switch between 2 fixed focal lengths today rather than having to carry 2 pairs of glasses. Due to other issues bifocals etc are no good for me.

  66. Sherlock Holmes

    June 20, 2020 at 1:58 pm

    Is this a reupload?? I swear I’ve seen this

  67. Sayar Nag

    June 20, 2020 at 2:15 pm

    How many of you watching this wearing specs?

  68. Hugh Graham

    June 20, 2020 at 2:58 pm

    Collaboration and Cooperation with the University of Reading, UK could yield great results. Their work is advanced.

  69. Sachs Husam

    June 20, 2020 at 3:49 pm

    Every single people around the world eagerly waiting the new unconventional glasses in the market.

  70. Inazuma65

    June 20, 2020 at 4:27 pm

    Very cool.

  71. Terje Mathisen

    June 20, 2020 at 5:43 pm

    I actually think that this is attacking the problem from the wrong end:

    The right solution would be a method to fix the lenses in our eyes!

    I.e. either a rejuvenation treatment for the sadly very inflexible lenses people like me end up with (I was born in 1957), returning them to 20-year old suppleness, or a replacement lens that is flexible and which hooks into the focusing muscles in the eye so that you can still adjust them. This actually already exist, but sadly they only provide about 1 diopter of focus range and you would really like 2 to 2.5 to get away from the need for reading glasses or similar fine tuning.

  72. Akampan

    June 20, 2020 at 6:00 pm

    fantastic

  73. Dhaval Maurya

    June 20, 2020 at 6:31 pm

    Watching this for my parents…

  74. T-serie A

    June 20, 2020 at 7:40 pm

    Hi

  75. 0__0

    June 20, 2020 at 8:16 pm

    Tesla said in an interview he had a perfect vision @ the age of 70 or similar. And he said it’s because of the diet (which consists of mainly potato and rice)

  76. HATIM BOOTWALA

    June 21, 2020 at 2:40 am

    How exciting! Great idea 👍

  77. Tarun Kothari

    June 21, 2020 at 4:42 am

    A link of my video in which I have shared my experience of how I connected the dots in my life by using the theory of Steve Jobs from Stanford Speech .

  78. Crystal Yeow Ching Ching

    June 21, 2020 at 8:23 am

    Denmark queen smart, the rest mine, thank you your highness !!!

  79. Vannilsckelo.

    June 21, 2020 at 12:09 pm

    I wonder whether myopia has the opportunity to develop the cure in future.

  80. VIVEK KUMAR

    June 21, 2020 at 12:23 pm

    Well they’ll irritating if its focus doesn’t change instantly while we can simply project everything on the glass with clear quality

  81. Osha Permadi

    June 21, 2020 at 1:29 pm

    Someday we’ll probably replace our eyes with camera.

  82. Ринат Фаррахов

    June 21, 2020 at 2:25 pm

    Добрый день сделайте пожалуйста русские субтитры 😔

  83. less important

    June 21, 2020 at 5:00 pm

    Don’t we have eyes for that?

  84. buddy77587

    June 21, 2020 at 5:32 pm

    Sweet 🤙🌈💜

  85. Invox

    June 21, 2020 at 7:40 pm

    Good Talk.

  86. Harvick T

    June 21, 2020 at 7:41 pm

    Imagine how much you’ll have to pay just so you can wear reading glasses while climbing a ladder and lookong down.

  87. Eric Bolanos

    June 21, 2020 at 9:41 pm

    I supposed it sounds crazy but who will imagine 10 years ago that I could see my granddaughter from 50 miles away. This is the kind of problems AI must be given solution and taking over the humans.

  88. Marian Gherca

    June 21, 2020 at 10:55 pm

    Ok great tech; but what happens if someone points a light at your face ?

  89. Gavin Yates

    June 22, 2020 at 2:54 am

    Autofocus glasses with built-in augmented reality to direct you in any direction the makers of the glasses why you to go, maybe robots or aliens from other planets.

  90. IKNFLY666

    June 22, 2020 at 3:23 am

    Interesting to see how the DSLR autofocusing technology can also be apply in glasses

  91. Otie Brown

    June 22, 2020 at 10:16 am

    Hi Nitish –
    This is an excellent presentation.
    I am 80 years old, also an Electrical Engineer.
    My range of accommodation is 1.25 Diopters.
    I read a computer screen at 25 inches, with no glasses at all.
    I do use a plus lens, (cost $10) for work at 13 inches.
    So:
    No bifocal is ever necessary for me.
    For everything else?
    No glasses at all.
    The entire eye, is a long term control system, controling its refractive state, to its average of accommodation, from birth to maturity.
    (All primate studies.)
    The word, “Presbyopia”, has no practical impact on me or my excellent vision.

  92. Tooney Moo

    June 22, 2020 at 10:34 am

    So when is Ted gonna show up just asking?

  93. ITouchTheSky 8GladysWorld8

    June 22, 2020 at 11:46 am

    Thank you so much for talking about this argument very well. I have more idea now, why I have difficulties of reading since I was 45. Lovely watching and listening to you here on the top of the mountain of Italy.

  94. Kundan Suryawanshi

    June 22, 2020 at 12:30 pm

    Is he am Indian ?

  95. huy nguyenanh

    June 22, 2020 at 2:17 pm

    i don’t want to wear glasses for example the man who talking with people!

  96. Devin Kim

    June 22, 2020 at 2:26 pm

    One pair of glasses for most eye conditions

  97. PythonPlusPlus

    June 22, 2020 at 3:13 pm

    When the first tuneable smart glasses get released…
    Opticians: crap

  98. curvlet

    June 22, 2020 at 6:39 pm

    Feels like one of the useless things

  99. Jour Namehere

    June 23, 2020 at 6:58 am

    Hey finally someone is working on my idea… He’s no Elon.

  100. Ultimatrine

    June 23, 2020 at 8:15 am

    *Social distancing has left the chat*

    If you don’t get it look at the audience.

  101. Vikrant Singh

    June 23, 2020 at 3:18 pm

    Recently Apple has patented “Autofocusing glasses “.
    That said, either this guy forgot to patent this or apple was ahead of this guy. Anyhow, this potential idea will be sold for much higher costs with slow penetration into the market.

  102. Elmir Elmir

    June 23, 2020 at 8:08 pm

    When I suggested this idea in my university the representative person of an organisation said me it is not possible to build something like this.

  103. Nelson Thibeau

    June 23, 2020 at 8:08 pm

    I don’t care if it’s a sales pitch ,I want these glasses mine suck..great, innovative work you guys

  104. Badhon Ebrahim

    June 23, 2020 at 8:14 pm

    Great now they want to know what we are reading so that they can use us as products and serve us more ads.

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