Super Sunglasses

Sunglasses have long been used for fashion and convenience. But a person usually had to buy different pairs to sport different shades and transparency levels at different times. This is not only inconvenient but also expensive. Now, new lenses have been developed to quickly change shades to a person's requirements. These innovative lenses have been developed by Minoru Taya, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Washington, along with research assistant professor Chunye Xu and doctoral student Chao Ma. So far, only a blue lens has been developed but further work is going on to incorporate red and green.

Features of the new lenses
a. These are plastic or polymer lenses made from organic chemicals.
b. It has a transparent protective layer, a titanium oxide base and a gel based solution between the layers to transport charged particles.
c. Its transparency can be changed with a shot of electric current.
d. It is battery operated.
e. A tiny dial on the arm works as a remoter control to change colors and shades.
f. The change occurs in just a couple of seconds.
g. These lenses have been designed with a memory function which allows it to stay in a particular state for a long time without power.
h. It can enhance visual contrast, improve depth perception, brighten low-light conditions and offer aesthetic appeal.