A 19-year-old from the University of Canterbury has just secured the New Zealand National James Dyson Award with an invention that could change thousands of lives.
Mark Campbell, a product design engineering student, created Lensare - smart glasses that detect harmful light patterns and instantly darken, protecting people with photosensitive epilepsy and photophobia from light-triggered seizures, migraines and other serious health risks.
Mark recognised that most eyewear solutions are "pretty passive", and made it his mission to take a proactive approach with his design by using sensors and LCD lenses to react in real time, providing near-instant protection.
The idea came after Mark realised how welding masks filter light and thought about how that tech could be used in everyday environments.
Over the last 18 months, he’s built and refined two prototypes, and with the $11,000 won with the award, he’s able to take the project further.
He plans to build a third prototype with slimmer electronics, test it with people who live with light sensitivity, and start prepping it for commercialisation.
His aim is to perfect his design featuring a 10-hour battery life, a controllable knob for sensitivity adjustments and be fast acting - taking just 20 milliseconds from detecting to darkening the lenses.
"Winning the James Dyson Award national prize is incredibly exciting, not just for the recognition, but for the opportunity it gives me to take Lensare to the next stage,” Mark said.
“The prize money will help me refine the prototype, and move closer to creating a product that can genuinely improve daily life for those affected by photosensitive epilepsy."
Dr Diana Siew, one of the judges, praised the project: "What impressed me most about Lensare is how Mark has translated a good understanding of a serious health challenge into a practical, wearable solution.”
The James Dyson Award is celebrating its 20th year of spotlighting young inventors tackling big problems.
Runners-up this year include Foresight, a tree-mounted device that measures fruit growth in real time, and Asmaan One, a portable autonomous cricket bowling machine that lets junior players practise independently.
We can’t wait to see what’s next for Mark with Lensare.
