Japanese company QD Laser Inc has developed a prototype of glasses using retinal scanning laser eyewear technology, which it co-developed with the University of Tokyo. The glasses directly project an image on the user’s retina. They do not require the user to focus his/her eyes for seeing an image. Therefore, they enable even weak-sighted people who cannot have enough sight with glasses or contact lenses to see clear images.
QD Laser said it plans to commercialize the new glasses as an eyewear that supports weak-sighted people or as an AR (augmented reality) device that superimposes information on part of the user’s field of view. The company is currently asking PMDA (Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency) whether the eyewear for weak-sighted people would be certified as a medical device according to Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Act (PMD Act), planning to file an application as necessary.
As an AR device, QD Laser expects that the glasses will be used for gaming and displaying work instructions. In the medical field, Maki Sugimoto, an associate professor at Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, prototyped a surgical navigation system using QD Laser’s eyewear.
