Sometimes pure genius goes unnoticed for years or even decades. Some brilliant minds eventually get their chance to shine, while others fall through the cracks. Thankfully for us, we live in the age of Reddit, where people like Yousif Ashoor can get the attention they deserve.
Ashoor, who readily admits that he has “no life,” built a pair of DIY, UV-sensing automatic sunglasses, and they’re just crazy enough to be cool. The shades use a UV sensor to determine when the wearer has entered direct sunlight. Once it does, the Arduino-based, battery-powered system slides the shades into place in front of the eyes.
As he demonstrates in a brief demo video—its description: “To protect my virginity and my eyes”—Ashoor’s glasses work pretty much flawlessly. They move quite rapidly, and with an audible “zip” sound, but as far as prototypes go, it’s actually a stunning accomplishment.
The frame of the glasses are 3D printed, making it somewhat bulky looking and thick, but further refinement could presumably mitigate that drawback.
Oh, and if you think these glasses look a little familiar, you might just be a gamer; Deus Ex, the futuristic action series, actually inspired the project. Ashoor says he got the idea for the glasses upon watching a trailer for the recent Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, in which the main character sports a pair of automatic glasses of his own.
H/T TechCrunch