32 Degrees North is an innovative pair of adaptive glasses created by Deep Optics that uses pixelated liquid crystal (LC) lenses and works as both protective eyewear and adaptive reading glasses.

Liquid eyeglass lenses have been around since 2017, but it was only recently that a company used the revolutionary invention to create a truly intriguing pair of eyeglasses that could theoretically become the only pair of glasses a person would need. That’s because the adaptive concept of the glasses allows the wearer to adjust their purpose with a single swipe of the frame. For stylish sunglasses, simply swipe backward on the right frame, and to put them into vision correction mode, you just swipe backward. Additionally, the lens power can be changed from 0 to 2.5 diopters, and the lightweight built-in battery offers up to 48 hours of power.

“Deep Optics proprietary technology dynamically corrects vision impairment using pixelated liquid crystal (LC) lenses,” the Deep Optics website explains. “The lenses perform like the human eye, allowing the wearer to see what they want when they want. Deep Optics technology adds almost no extra weight or bulk to the design of natural-looking glasses.”

At a whopping $849 per pair, 32 Degrees North glasses are not cheap, but they do relieve you of the need to carry two pairs of eyeglasses with you. No more switching between reading and distance glasses, as after adjusting the liquid crystal lenses to your needs, all you have to do is swipe on the right frame to switch their focus between close and far distances.

“With 32°N sunglasses, you can look at the horizon, then swipe and effortlessly check your messages. Admire the view, swipe, and then seamlessly continue reading,” Deep Optics claims. “Mimicking the way your eyes are used to working,  you can see what you want when you want.”

Historically, the eyeglasses industry hasn’t been the most innovative but these adaptive sunglasses sound like a giant leap forward, eliminating the need for bifocal and multifocal lenses, which have their limitations anyway. And 32 Degrees North glasses are not some prototype that may or may not make it to the market, they are already commercially available, albeit for a significant amount of money. Still, if liquid lenses become more mainstream, the price is bound to come down significantly in the future.

For more innovative eyeglasses, check out these anti-motion sickness glasses by Citroen.