USC and VSP collaboration maximizes wearable sensor in eyeglasses

Los Angeles-The University of Southern California (USC) Center for Body Computing (CBC) has teamed with VSP Global’s innovation lab, The Shop, and the USC Roski Eye Institute to take wearable health to the eyes. The pilot study, which kicked off Aug. 27 at USC, will assess users’ engagement with and feedback of the smartphone app synched to the embedded sensor in a prototype optical frame (Level, The Shop).

The study of USC employee daily eyeglass wearers has participants tracking a wearer’s steps, calories burned, distance traveled and activity time. The biometrics are tracked by technology seamlessly embedded in the temple of the frame-including an accelerometer, a magnetometer and a gyroscope-and synched wirelessly via Bluetooth to an accompanying smartphone app.

(Video courtesy of USC Center for Body Computing)

USC Roski Eye Institute is the optometric care partner in the study having its ophthalmologists and optometrists at its USC clinics on the school’s main campus and health sciences campus perform the eye exams and ensure accurate prescriptions for the participants.

“In this next phase of our continued collaboration with VSP we’re thrilled to be partnering with them to maximize the wearable sensor in eyeglasses by engaging wearers in improved health fueled by philanthropic endeavors,” said Leslie Saxon, MD, founder and executive director, USC Center for Body Computing. 

“Offering our patients digital health tools and wearable technology in our eye clinics is the wave of the future,” said Rohit Varma, MD, MPH, interim dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC, and director, USC Roski Eye Institute. “As one of the key medical partners in the USC CBC’s Virtual Care Clinic, we’re proud to be at the forefront of digital health innovation led by Dr. Leslie Saxon and her team.”