Feeling safe in the dark

Low night vision or sub-optimal night vision (or often called ‘night blindness’) is a serious problem for a large number of people over 50, mostly women. To be more explicit, in most cases it’s not a disease but just a simple ‘disorder’ for people, though mainly women over 50 without any other serious eye problems complain about this problem. It should be mentioned though that patients with diseases like cataract, glaucoma, macula degeneration etc. are also suffering from bad night vision. However, 1 out of four people over the age of 60 has serious problems seeing in the dark, in general, but especially when driving.

Driving in the dark already reduces vision substantially, but much more for the ‘aging eye’. It gives a blurry vision without good contrast combined with extreme blinding headlights of approaching cars and traffic lights; creating a dangerous situation for traffic participants. In reaction to this phenomenon drivers will reduce their speed, feel in general very unsecure, experience physical discomfort and become subsequently a serious danger, also to other road users.

Existing ‘devices’  like the widely used and advertised yellow glasses are available, but they do not offer serious better vision, according to most users but confirmed by Harvard Medical School*. Also, just a few products of brand name hightech glasses manufacturers are being offered through opticians but they still lack sufficient vision in the dark. All this has been tested and tried by relevant test groups.

Research being done recently in the USA and Israel (where quite some high tech innovative visual devices are being developed that serve the defense industry) have regretfully not (yet) led to a solution either. In the meantime we are facing a growing population that is getting older in good health and will be driving far into their eighties. And, as a consequence, more accidents with cars during the dark hours unfortunately. 

* Yellow Night-Driving Glasses: Do They Really Work? – Optics Mag (Abstract Harvard Medical School)

blurry and unsharp vision where dark is really very dark and simultaneously blinding with halos from several light sources

In a dark setting, your eyes like to gather as much light as possible. They do this by opening the pupils wide and allowing your eyes to catch as many rough outlines and shapes as they can. In a brighter setting your pupils shrink back down, since they have all the light they need to see comfortably.

There are millions of rod-shaped and cone-shaped cells along every eye’s retina. These rods and cones are necessary for eyesight.

Rods and cones (as photoreceptor cells) each react a little differently to varying types of light. When the right light strikes them, they send tiny impulses along the optic nerve and into the back of the brain. This is how vision happens.

While cones are great at registering bright lights, colors and fine details, they’re not so useful for helping you to see in the dark — that’s where your rods come in.

Rods excel in peripheral vision and are much more sensitive to light photons, which makes them extremely helpful in low-light settings. Without rods scattered across the retinas, any sort of darkness would be virtually blinding. But there’s a catch: rods can’t process color. This is why your night vision usually isn’t very colorful and often seems to be in black and white.

The company NightVision is working on a product called LUMIvision. This is fashionable Augmented Reality (AR) supported eye wear that not only helps those with serious bad night vision but it also enhances the night time experience in various scenarios, such as driving, walking, or any other outdoor activities during low-light conditions.

LUMIvision characteristics:

Vision Enhancement
Creating better visibility during the dark hours.

Comfort & Wearability
Lightweight, comfortable to wear for long durations.
Prescription friendly – option to incorporate prescription lenses.

User friendly
Easy to use controls, plug-in charge, long battery life.

Durable and sustainable
Long lasting product, eco-friendly materials.

Fashionable Eyewear

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