It may look a bit crazy, but according to Citroën it really works: The Seetroën, specially designed glasses to combat car sickness. The glasses have been available since last week.
Some 30 million people in Europe suffer from chronic car sickness. An annoying hindrance during longer car journeys to, for example, a holiday destination. Moreover, for many people with car sickness it is impossible to read or watch a video in the car, while our smartphones only increase that temptation.
To tackle this problem, Citroën, the brand that values comfort, presents the SEETROËN, the first glasses that prevent motion sickness. These glasses work on a simple principle: using a coloured liquid to mimic the horizon, resolving the conflict created between different senses.
First for sailors
The glasses look somewhat crazy, which made us suspect for a while that they were a joke. But the glasses are now on sale in the French car brand's so-called 'lifestyle webshop'. It could be a solution for all those Europeans, one in three, who suffer from travel sickness, called kinetosis in medical terms. The glasses were originally intended for sailors, but the technology has now been adapted in such a way that they can also be used in a car, plane or boat.
The SEETROËN glasses use technology developed by Boarding RingTM, a start-up based in the south of France. This patented and tested paramedic device works in 95% of cases. Thanks to the fluid moving around the eyes in the rings, both left/right and front/back, the glasses reconstruct the horizon, so to speak, resolving the conflict between senses that causes nausea while travelling. 'For the design, we called on 5.5, a Parisian design collective, which ensured a fresh look, simplicity and ergonomics. The result is glasses with a high-tech look, in soft white plastic,' Citroën says in a press release.
How do you use the glasses?
- Put the glasses on as soon as the first symptoms appear.
- After 10 to 12 minutes, the brain can resynchronise with the movement perceived by the inner ear while the eyes are fixed on a motionless object such as a smartphone or a book.
- Put on the glasses and enjoy the rest of the journey.
Suitable for both adults and children from 10 years old (when the inner ear has grown). There are no glasses in the glasses, so other family members or travelling companions can also put them on. Moreover, the glasses can be combined with regular glasses.
The SEETROËN glasses cost €99 and are available from the brand's lifestyle shop: lifestyle.citroen.com.
Click on the image below to watch a video of the glasses' design:
By: Kelly Bakker
Source: Citroën
