It uses ‘a clever hack.’
Warby Parker will pilot a mobile app-based eye test over the summer.
It’s called Prescription Check, and it uses unique technology to make sure the user is the correct distance away from the screen during the test, Inc. reports. The test requires a smartphone and another computer.
According to Inc.: “The team considered everything from tape measures to sonar before hitting on a clever hack in which a phone’s camera determines distance by measuring the size of objects on the computer screen — a solution for which Warby was granted a patent last year.”
The test will put Warby Parker at odds with regulators and, to a greater extent than ever, optometrists, the magazine notes. Some states already restrict mobile eye tests such as those offered by Opternative.
Maryland optometrist Alan Glazier tells Inc.: “You could have glaucoma or diabetes, and only a doctor is going to check for that. [These apps] want to eliminate doctors from the process, and that’s horrible.”
Warby Parker’s website states that the app “isn’t meant to replace a comprehensive eye exam.”
The company explains that after the test, “An eye doctor will assess whether your vision has changed since your last prescription. If it hasn’t changed, the doctor will write you an updated prescription that you can use anywhere! If it has, the doctor may recommend that you get a comprehensive eye exam. You can expect to hear back from us within 24 hours either way.”
Read more at Inc. reports