These sunglasses adapt their tint to help athletes adjust to light

CTRL's new sunglasses, the CTRL XCs, can transition in a tenth of a second.

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For an experienced mountain biker, dealing with a wide array of weather and environmental conditions is second nature. Light conditions can change almost instantaneously on a bike ride, and the people behind CTRL Eyewear aim to create a set of biker glasses that can adjust to any of these changing conditions.

CTRL Eyewear, a company that creates wearables for mountain biking, extreme sports and leisure, has made the CTRL XC, a newly designed full-frame set of sunglasses that incorporates e-Tint technology. This single pair of sunglasses can be utilized in a multitude of light conditions varying across different environments.

“Visibility plays a big role in every sport, especially mach biking,” Søren Nissen, winner of the World Cup mountain bike races, told CTRL in their trailer for the frames. “This new eyewear can really make a difference. I mainly ride in rough terrain, and it’s really important to have your eyes on the road. If you go fast downhill and don’t see [anything], you have to brake fast and you can’t really do anything with the normal eyewear.”

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CTRL Eyewear integrates fast-responding, energy-efficient technology to offer immediate adapting tints within 0.1 seconds while using the eyewear. The disruptive and patented electronic tint on-demand technology was designed for the United States special forces to become their next standard of eyewear equipment.

This technology has shown its potential to the open market, as they have smashed their fundraising goal of $10,000.

“I’m really enthusiastic about this product,” Nissen continued in the video. “Using the automatic mode makes me really feel like I am more in control. I really feel safe going downhill with high speed and entering tunnels, forests, or any danger coming up.”

[youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hXHslhG-k8]

CTRL says that other sunglasses in its category don’t transition to new light conditions as quickly or seamlessly at the CTRL XCs do. Instead, they are passive and adaptation can take over several minutes, rendering the tint almost uncontrollable and slow.

With CTRL XC, users will be able to control their tint manually while still having the option to let the technology do the adjusting for them. With a rechargeable battery lasting up to 70 hours on one charge, this pair of glasses could potentially be the piece of equipment any athlete or outdoor adventurist would want in their possession.