You walk into a tech expo expecting the usual suspects – glasses with cameras, wearables that whisper AI prompts in your ear, maybe even a pair of glasses that let you take and make calls hands-free. But tucked away at BEYOND Expo was a pair of spectacles that did something very simple but extremely revolutionary – it used algorithms to improve your vision. The ViXion 01S is arguably the world’s first ‘autofocus’ spectacles, designed to work for any sort of vision ailment that requires vision-corrective devices or spectacles. The product’s creator, initially working with visually impaired children, saw how frustrating it was for them to constantly switch between glasses for reading and distance. That pain point sparked a concept: what if eyewear could adapt the way eyes naturally do? None of that ‘let ChatGPT identify objects for me’, just a pair of spectacles that enable you to see better. Designer: Nendo for ViXion And that idea, or rather that phrase stopped me dead in my tracks – autofocus glasses. Possibly the world’s first. But not in the way a camera might autofocus on a face. These use a depth-perception sensor embedded subtly between the lenses, analyzing how far away you’re looking and adjusting the focus of the lenses in real time. The result is magic in the truest sense: your focus shifts from a book in your hand to a sign across the hall, and the glasses reshape their optics in under a second. Block the sensor, and the illusion becomes obvious – your vision blurs instantly, reminding you that these glasses are doing some serious computing… in split-second moments too. Forget bifocals or progressive lenses. The ViXion 01S behaves like multifocal glasses with a brain. It doesn’t rely on zones etched into the lens. Instead, it features dual variable lenses that morph their curvature to suit your focal length, from up-close at 10 inches to a clear view across a room. Whether you’re myopic, hyperopic, presbyopic, or dealing with the messier combinations like anisometropia, the ViXion adjusts. it goes all the way from a power of negative 10 to positive 10, covering possibly the entire gamut. For me, a guy who’s had specs since 1997, it felt incredible. I’ve got a power of nearly -6.5, something that’s a little too high for most tech devices. For example, I can’t vision-correct images in most VR headsets because they don’t go all the way as high as negative 6.5. The average human has not more than minus 2 or 3, or positive 1 or 2. Setup is easy enough. A short calibration lets you fine-tune your pupillary distance and correct vision strength – up to +10 or -10 diopters, via a simple switch on either side of the glasses. From there, it’s mostly hands-free. The battery runs over 15 hours on a full charge and tops up via USB-C, making it an all-day companion that recharges while you sleep. The aesthetic comes courtesy of Nendo, Japan’s minimalism maestros. Lightweight at just 55 grams, the frame wears its technology like a tailored suit – sharp, unobtrusive, refined. The fact that such an elegant design houses motorized lenses and a depth sensor almost feels like a flex. Awards followed, naturally. The ViXion 01S has been recognized at CES, IFA, and the Good Design Awards in Japan. Most recently, it clinched the Beyond Award this year, validating both its design and innovation chops. At $500, this isn’t an impulse buy, but consider the math. If you’re someone juggling reading glasses, computer glasses, and regular prescription lenses (not to mention the cumulative cost of eye exams and replacements), it starts to look a lot more reasonable. Especially when one device replaces all the rest.The post The World’s First ‘Autofocus’ Spectacles: Hands-on with the ViXion 01S at BEYOND Expo 2025 first appeared on Yanko Design.