Overhead Spectacles - evaluation of an innovative spectacles technology for astronauts with presbyopia

Presbyopia is the inability of the aging eye to focus on short ranges. The common solution is the use of progressive addition lenses (PAL), which provide an optical improvement to the bottom part of the lens, enabling clear short-distance vision. Shamir OverHead PALs offer a solution for astronauts with presbyopia during space missions. The solution consists of a special design, which combines near vision in the top part of the lens. The experiment is intended to evaluate the use of these lenses to characterize clear vision of nearby objects which are below or above the astronaut’s eye level, such as overhead instruments and panels.