Catching a brain wave with SafiloX

When most people go to the beach, the only waves they would consider catching are the liquid, salty kind. But the new “brain-sensing eyewear platform,” SafiloX, allows beachgoers to monitor brainwaves through their sunglasses as well as scanning the surf. 

The first product built through the platform is the Smith’s Lowdown Focus Mpowered by Muse. The sunglasses were presented at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas. 

Safilo head of innovation, Nicola Belli, explained to OT  that five tiny sensors were integrated into the frame of the sunglasses.

“If you have the frame in your hand you cannot recognise the sensors because they are integrated into the frame,” he highlighted. 

“There are two sensors on the ears and three sensors on the nose. With these five sensors we can measure the electrical waves coming out from the brain and from the eyes,” Mr Belli shared. 

The information collected through the sensors is relayed to a smartphone app which offers a series of training programmes, from relaxation and focusing exercises to tasks that test an individual’s cognitive skills. 

“You can see how you are doing live on the smartphone,” Mr Belli added.

“You start with a basic two or three-minute exercise and then you get feedback. The app has a gaming approach where the challenges get more and more difficult over time,” he explained. 

Although the technology in the product is advanced, Mr Belli emphasised that creating well-designed eyewear remained important. 

“This should still be a key reason for the consumer to buy it. We would like the consumer to first select the product because it is a nice piece of eyewear,” he highlighted. 

The ultimate goal was to improve a customer’s quality of life by creating integrated technology that acts as a mental coach. 

“Our mind is like a muscle. If you exercise your muscles you will get fitter, stronger and improve your performance. It is the same for the mind,” Mr Belli elaborated.

The new eyewear platform also includes a UV sensor, activity tracker, temperature sensor and pressure gauge that can measure altitude. 

Safilo plans on making the product available for sale online from October. 

“At the moment it will be available online because that is the channel that best suits the customer we are trying to engage with,” Mr Belli concluded.