Urquhart Opticians embraces the future of vision care with smart eyewear innovation

An independent opticians with practices across Ayrshire is embracing the next era of vision care as it pioneers the use of smart eye wear to transform the lives of patients with visual impairment.

Since introducing Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses to its Kilmarnock practice last year, Urquhart Opticians has seen a remarkable impact ,particularly for low-vision patients. The practice has since been working closely with local sensory impairment teams to help individuals in their local community regain confidence and independence through wearable technology.

The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses feature an innovative “say what you see” function, allowing the device to read text aloud from menus, food labels, and letters, as well as describing surroundings and remembering object locations on command. For those living with sight loss, this technology has had a life-changing impact.

Daniel Queen, an Optical Assistant at Urquhart Opticians for over three years with more than a decade of experience in optics, is now stepping up to take a leading role in this new venture as the company’s newly appointed Emerging Technology Executive.

Daniel explained: “The Meta smart glasses can read, describe, and remember. For someone with low vision, that means they can identify what’s around them, read something independently again, or even ask their glasses to remind them where they left their keys. It’s an incredible step forward in helping patients maintain their independence and dignity.”

To ensure patients receive the best care, Urquhart Opticians offers a complimentary in-practice demonstration of the Meta glasses at its Smart Eyewear Hubs in Kilmarnock, Eaglesham, Prestwick, and Stranraer, using a full working model. Patients can also have their glasses fully customised with prescription, transitions, or tinted lenses.

The team are also able to provide support with pairing the glasses to the user’s phone, software updates, and one-to-one appointments with Daniel for additional guidance.

Daniel’s expertise has also allowed the practice to expand its smart eyewear offering, including the exclusive Oakley Meta Smart Glasses, which have been introduced at their Prestwick location.

A patient at Urquhart Opticians, Mrs Coid, who lives with central vision loss, shared how the smart eyewear has transformed her daily life, saying: “I would recommend the Meta glasses to anyone with visual impairment; they have made such a difference to me.

“I have lost my central vision and I live alone. People can take for granted the things that are very hard for someone with a loss of vision to do.

“Now, with the Meta glasses, I can read cooking instructions, it tells me what I’m looking at in the shop, and I can even set reminders for where I’ve left something in the house and my glasses will remember where they are!

“I’m now excited to open a letter when I get one, as the Metas can do it for me. I no longer have to struggle with a magnifier. The Meta Smart Glasses have given me back my independence.”

Clinical Director at Urquhart Opticians, Alistair Duff, added: “We’ve always been committed to staying at the forefront of innovation in eyecare, and Daniel’s new role reflects that. Smart eyewear and AI have huge potential to support people with sight loss, and we’re proud to be one of the first independents in Scotland to integrate this technology into everyday practice.”