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John Ryan

Project Description

The adaptive smart glasses are a universal eyewear design, bringing solutions from existing ideas such as smart glasses, smart sensing technology, LCD displays and driving lenses together into an innovative new eyewear solution.

Adaptive Smart Glasses

Project Detail

The customisable glasses contain powerful new and innovative features:

  • Adaptive eyewear with dynamic LCD filtering control:
    A true all in one eyewear solution with smart dynamic light filtering using addressable LCD matrix technology to filter light, offering real time protection for the environment. The glasses use light detection linked to the LCD matrix via a microcontroller which sends commands to adjust the level of light filtering based on light levels detected.

  • Full control and smart dynamic filtering:
    Manual or dynamically assigned modes for driving, sunlight and indoor situations utilising different levels of controllable filtering to suit the use case and ensure legislative compliance and optimal eye comfort.

Alongside the new design features, additional quality of life features include:

  • Prescription Lens support: Accessibility for a wide range of users

  • Anti-Reflective outer lenses: Added protection and comfort from harmful glare

  • Smartphone connectivity: Full control and connect to popular audio, navigation, communication apps and more for a hands-free smart experience.

  • Customisable Presets: Choose your preferences and set for simple touch activation.

Problem Statement

‘How to reduce vehicle headlights from dazzling drivers at night’.

The problem was identified from constructive discontent of bright vehicle headlights causing temporary visual impairments and discomfort whilst driving at night.


preliminary online research to ascertain the scale and confirm it was a real problem that many people faced across vehicle types, particularly those with eye conditions such as astigmatism.

Digital realisation showing three modes of the smart glasses with someone wearing them when driving. Firstly bright sunlight with the lenses darkened. Text reads Camera detects high light levels, LCD lenses fully darken to block glare. Secondly, night driving, yellow tint, camera detects headlights, adjusts lenses to reduce glare. Thirdly indoor use clear lenses, camera senses low light, lenses switch to full transparency.

My Process

Research was carried out in relation to the contextual, material and people aspects of the project, using a mixture of User trips, Surveys and Intellectual property searches to understand the scale of the problem and existing solutions.


Initial concepts were generated following a design brief created to incorporate the research results. A selection matrix was utilised to compare the designs against a datum which resulted in the adaptive smart glasses being chosen as a best fit to proceed for development.


Further research was conducted into the concept of the smart glasses, including the material aspects, context in use (primarily legislative) and usability. Refined designs were created and ingested into Microsoft Copilot, following many hours of development and iteration on copilot, a series of refined designs were created.

Light Detection & Adaptive Filtering: Camera Sensor to Processor to LCD Control Circuit diagram.
Smart glasses with yellow lenses displaying digital icons.
Poster for the smart glasses with an image showing a driver being blinded by glare when driving at night, and looking happy with the glasses on in the same situation. The poster says the product is for drivers, cyclists, outdoor enthusiasts and people with light sensitivity to reduce glare and eye strain, improve safety at night and adapt to changing light. Key advantages are listed as Adapts to all lighting, glare protection in real time, smartphone connectivity, prescription lens supported. Image showing the internal works of the glasses, a camera sensor, image processor and LCD control circuit with dimming commands. Also shown is an image of the glasses showing buttons on the arms and a yellow tint in the lenses.
Soft pastel watercolor wash in rainbow hues.

About me

I am a 39-year-old in full time employment who is working towards a degree in IT & Design now due to not having the opportunity after finishing school. After overcoming personal challenges, I am doing this goal for myself.

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