US startup Chamelo have launched a curious product that combines technology with personal style: colour-shifting sunnies.
From Superinnovators 10/07/24
The company’s new Prismatic colour-changing lenses are the first of their kind, allowing users to switch between four different hues with a simple touch.
These lenses utilise patented liquid crystal technology to cater to both style and mood preferences, offering two options: energy and calm.
The energy lenses are paired with the Auro model switching between warm hues like yellow, pink, and orange, designed to boost energy and happiness.
Meanwhile, the calm lenses come with the Euphoria model offering cool tones such as blue, purple, and ruby, aimed at providing tranquility and relaxation.
Not only do they appear different colours to the assembled crowd, but the world also has a different hue to the wearer.
And you can cycle between these worlds by pressing a button on the side of the frame.
Both model frames integrate stainless steel, durable light-weight plastic and titanium legs with 47 hours battery life, 80% charge in 30 minutes and visible light transmission (VTL) range of 40% to 70%.
Yet they don’t have any UV protection to speak of.
Euphoria, priced at $385 (£294), features an oversized square frame weighing 1.4 oz (41 g).
Aura, also $385 (£294), comes with a sleek rimless frame and is slightly lighter at 1.2 oz (35 g).
In addition to colour-changing capabilities, Chamelo have introduced the Dusk tint-adjustable lenses, in collaboration with another US startup Ampere.
These aim to address the age-old problem of the tint of your sunglasses not matching the light levels or activity at hand.
Photochromic sunglasses, activated by light, have been around for decades but they’ve been dogged by issues relating to temperature, driving and transition speed.
According to Chamelo, their Dusk lenses offer instant and customisable tint adjustment through various controls, including touch, slider, automatic, and app-enabled options.
They claim the lenses change tint in less than 0.1 seconds, significantly faster than traditional photochromic glasses.
The Music Shield and Dusk Classic models carry the Dusk lens as well as bluetooth audio capabilities, both available for $249 (£190).
The Dusk Classic resembles vintage Ray Ban sunglasses with the following tech spec:
- VLT range of 4% to 38%.
- Battery life: 7 days of paired tint adjustment, 4 hours of listening
- Battery charging time: Charge 80% in 15 minutes, 100% in 45 minutes
- 99.9% UV protection with polarized lenses
- Weight: 0.9 oz / 26 grams.
There’s also a Dusk Classic Lite model priced at $199 (£152), which is identical but without bluetooth audio.
While the Dusk Classic is designed for everyday use, the Music Shield model is made for workouts with sweat-proofing to boot:
- VLT range of 17% to 63%.
- Weight: 1.7 oz / 49 grams
- Battery life: 100 hours (tint adjustment), 6.5 hours (listening time)
- Battery charging time: Charge 80% in 30 minutes
The Dusk Classic and Lite are produced by US startup Ampere who crowdfunded their single-tone adjustable tint sunglasses in 2021.
Then, Ampere crowdfunded an upgraded prescription-ready version, Dusk Rx, in 2023 which is due to be shipped to backers this year.
Meanwhile, Chamelo are pioneering colour-changing lenses with limited 100-pair runs of Aura and Euphoric shipping in July and August respectively.
No word yet on future prescription-ready versions but the startup have said they will launch wider 6-63% VTL range lenses soon.
More info
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