Leading lens manufacturer Shamir recently unveiled its groundbreaking Driver Intelligence lenses at a launch event held at the historic Royal Automobile Club in Sydney. The event, which attracted optometrists from across Australia, showcased Shamir’s latest innovation in driving vision technology.
Hosted by racing commentator Greg Rust, the launch featured presentations from key Shamir executives Edmund Song, President of Shamir Asia Pacific and Rus Pillay, Shamir’s Commercial Manager in Australia, as well as Shamir ambassadors Kevin Flynn (owner of Driver Dynamics) and Harry Bates Australia’s champion rally car driver.
Mr Song kicked off the event by highlighting Shamir’s commitment to innovation. He stated: “One of our core values is to be the best but never rest. So, we constantly strive to challenge the status quo and to bring you new technologies, and new products to improve the lifestyles of your customers.”
Mr Song emphasised the importance of focussing on driving vision, noting that “over a lifetime, the average person spends 4.3 years of their life behind the wheel”. This statistic underscores the need for specialised lenses that can enhance visual performance and safety while driving.
A Collaborative Achievement
Shamir developed its driver-dedicated lens following a period of intensive research and development, with myriad measurements using elements of artificial intelligence (AI), professional driver trials, and feedback from Shamir’s optical performance partner, BWT Alpine F1 Team.
Mr Song explained, “Our partnership with the Alpine team started in 2021 and we are the first optical performance partner, not just a sponsorship, but a partner”. This collaboration allowed Shamir to gather crucial data on drivers’ visual needs in high-performance situations.
Mr Pillay delved into the technical aspects of the Shamir Driver Intelligence lenses. He revealed that the development process involved analysing “14 million data points, 80 different vehicle types, and 200 driving scenarios”. This extensive data led to the creation of a complete solution for optimised driving vision experience.
The Driver Intelligence system comprises two sets of premium lenses:
1. Sun lenses for daytime driving, featuring Shamir Glacier Sun UV coating, and
2. Moon lenses for low-light and nighttime driving, with Shamir Glacier Expression coating.
Mr Pillay explained that these lenses are designed to address specific visual challenges faced by drivers, such as glare, fatigue, and difficulty maintaining focus. He stated, “What we found is that one in five drivers suffer from visual fatigue. A huge amount suffer from glare – over 70%. One in three drivers suffer with adjusting gaze direction, and 19% have limited far field of view”.
Star Power
The launch event also featured Harry Bates, a three-time Australian Rally Champion and new Shamir ambassador. Bates shared his experience using the Shamir Driver Intelligence lenses both on and off the rally track. He emphasised the importance of vision in motorsport, saying, “Vision is the single most important thing that we rely on in motorsport… your eyes taking in information (around you) is what’s inputting your arms and your legs to do what they’re meant to do”.
Bates noted that the lenses have been particularly helpful in challenging conditions, such as transitioning from bright sunlight to shaded forest areas during rallies. He added, “I’ve found myself finding it easier and easier to adjust to those conditions”.
Kevin Flynn provided insights from a driver training perspective. He stressed the critical role of vision in safe driving, stating, “Where we start on every course, we say there’s four inputs: accelerate, brake, left turn, right turn, and effectively the inputs you put into that car are determined by what your vision is telling you”.
Mr Flynn highlighted the clarity provided by the Shamir Driver Intelligence lenses, comparing it to “driving in HD”. He also addressed the growing concern of in-car distractions, particularly touchscreens in modern vehicles. Mr Flynn revealed, “We found with some testing, just to do simple functions can take the driver’s eye off the road for more than 30 seconds in some cases. So, at 110 [km/h], that’s just over 900 metres.”
The launch event underscored Shamir’s commitment to Australian manufacturing, Mr Song said.
“We have always believed in the ‘Made in Australia’. We will continue to invest in our labs in the coming years in our facility in Brisbane to support local businesses and the ‘Made in Australia’ association,” Mr Song stated.
Mr Pillay emphasised that the Shamir Driver Intelligence system is not just for professional drivers but for anyone who drives regularly. “When you prescribe it in your practice, it’s not only for people that are professional drivers but for anyone that drives.”
As Harry Bates summed up, with solutions for day and night driving, the Shamir Driver Intelligence lenses provide “clarity of vision without all of the light coming into your eyes and the various distractions that are out there”, potentially enhancing both performance and safety for all on the road.
Shamir Optical Industry was established in 1972 and joined EssilorLuxottica in 2022.
