Unveiled: the Varilux XR Lens

Essilor pulled out the stops for its UK launch of the Varilux XR series lens in London on May 24. I was treated to an elaborate event, featuring dynamic speakers, glossy videos, immersive 3D simulations, and master of ceremonies Paul “The Sinnerman” Sinha from TV’s The Chase.

Before delving into the innovations behind the new XR technology, the Essilor team offered up some fascinating facts. By 2030, a third of the world’s population will be aged 40 or over, noted Aude Bouillet, Head of Product Marketing for North Europe – and by 2050, the number of presbyopes will double from 2 billion to 4 billion. Meanwhile, Sebastien Fricker, R&D Lens Design Manager, explained that we make an average of 100,000 eye movements a day. If we’re smartphone users, this includes looking at our screens a lot – on average we receive around 80 notifications a day. 

All this eye activity forces progressive lens wearers to slow down to maintain visual sharpness, said Alan Pitcher, Commercial Director for Wholesale Lenses. The new Varilux XR technology, however, has “harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to deliver the first eye-responsive progressive lens for instant sharpness in motion… predicting the patient’s visual behavior [and] ensuring precise positioning of the focus zones adapted to each wearer.”